The Truth About Kaine Arden
by Riley61
Summary: Kaine Arden is 17 years old when she meets Logan Danvers on his home turf in New York. Soon after they meet, Kaine begins to unravel the truth about herself. And the truth may very well kill her.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: This is the only one I'll do, because I think it's pretty obvious that I'm not Kelley Armstrong *sigh*, so here goes: I don't own any of the rights to the characters, other than Kaine, or the fabulous Women of the Otherworld Series. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter One**

"You've got to be shitting me!" I muttered, rather loudly, to myself, earning a couple of odd stares. It was that same creepy- yet totally hot if I was being honest- stalker who'd been following me all day. I thought I had lost him back at the last row of stalls, but I guess not.

I'm usually incredibly awesome at slipping away from people, especially in crowds. Which is why I shouldn't be having this much trouble considering I was currently standing in the middle of the annual state-wide flea market.

I mean, it's not that I'm _un_noticeable- what, with my black mid-back length straight hair, large green eyes, and having an unusual six foot one inch lean body- or that I didn't _want _to be noticed by the insanely _hot _blond god behind me. But it was creepy that he'd been following me for the past six and a half hours. I had taken different paths, skipped isles, zig-zagged, and back tracked, but he was still there.

Now for the record, I'm a very straight forward, confrontational kind of gal, but for the sake of the innocent bystanders, I was refraining from confronting the jerk behind me. 'Cause not to brag, -I hate it when people do that- but I can open up a serious can of whoop-ass if I need to. I have a third degree black belt, studied seven different fighting styles and have what my instructors tell me is, "amazing strength, speed and endurance." And it's weird, because my parents and the rest of the family are the biggest couch potatoes I've ever seen. They couldn't lift a forty pound weight if their life depended on it. And according to my biology teacher, things like physical capabilities are mainly passed down through genetics.

Anywho, back to the six foot five, muscular, gorgeous creep behind me, who was as I speak barreling through a group of elderly ladies who could pass for the local knitting club. How kind of him. Note the sarcasm in the above thought. As I glanced into an old gilt framed mirror lying on the table in front of me, I see Hottie himself staring at me like I'm some sort of unknown three headed species of freak.

_That's it, that asshole's going _down!

I started casually making my way towards the three walled empty pavilion on the other side of the fairgrounds, knowing he would follow.

The open wall of the shelter was facing toward a thick green forest; the other sides faced the busy market behind me. I don't know if the perv thought I was gonna go cop a squat in the trees or what, but he followed me there.

Just as I stepped into the drab pavilion, I spun around on my heel.

"What the hell do you want?" I asked. There was about ten feet in between us. What, you follow me around all day and now that we're finally alone you act like I've got a disease? Up close he was even more gorgeous, he had perfectly tousled golden blond hair that flopped down to almost cover his beautiful wary blue eyes. His chiseled jaw was clenched tight and his nose was flaring (weird much?).

"Who are you?" He asked back, totally evading my question.

"Someone who could kick your ass seven different ways," I snapped. I swear I saw a flicker of amusement pass in his eyes before being replaced by suspicion once again.

"Doubtful," he muttered, almost to quiet for me to hear, "My name's Logan, now would you please tell me why your in New York?" A hint of menace entered his voice.

I inhaled angrily, and about choked on my own spit. What the hell was that smell that threatened to suffocate me? It smelled woodsy, and kinda like wet dog. It was way to overpowering for my delicate nose. I've always had a better sense of smell than anyone else, but I had never come across this before.

"Why the hell should I tell you?" I finally regained enough breath to speak.

"Because I'm Logan _Danvers_," he stressed the last word like it was supposed to mean something.

"And I'm Kaine _Arden_," I mimicked him. Even though it wasn't smart to give him my real full name, his expression was worth it. It was a mix of surprise, confusion, and mild frustration, like I wasn't getting what he was saying. I searched my memory for any recollection of the name Danvers; nope, nothing.

"Now," I began, before he could open his mouth, "I'm going to go back out there and enjoy myself. If I see you following me again, I'll open up a can of whoop-ass you'd wish you'd never bought. Understand? Good." As I stared at him for a moment longer, I saw fury and admiration replace his stoic expression. I turned away and got about fifteen feet before I felt a weight on my shoulder. I looked down to see a perfectly tanned hand, and going farther up I met a pair of ocean blue eyes that held nothing but frustration.

_Oh man, he is sooo gonna get it!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

I glared into his perfect pair of eyes and growled. I've never growled quite so realistically before, it felt kinda good though, like it was natural.

He looked a little scared, but then again, my green-eyed glare had that affect on people. While he was distracted, I reached over and grabbed his hand and twisted.

Hard.

He yelped in pain, but I wasn't done with this creepo. I pulled my weight forward and on to my right hip and yanked his arm. He sailed over my left knee, and crashed down onto the cement flooring.

Before I could shout out in triumph, he was back up on his feet. I blinked, taken aback. That move made most grown men cry, if they didn't pass out. Hottie, I mean Logan looked barely fazed. Not even his wrist seemed to bother him. And now he was circling me.

"You clearly don't want my help, and I don't want to hurt you. If you leave New York now, I won't call the Pack, and no one needs to know about you. You seem to be doing alright as a lone female mutt, I won't change it. Just leave by tomorrow morning. Deal?"

What the fudge nuggets?

Pack? Mutt? Leave? What?

"What the hell are you talking about? You don't own New York! Lone female what? The Pack better not be a gang, 'cause I don't get mixed up in that shit!" Logan finally stopped the damn circling when he took a look at my genuinely confused expression.

"You mean you don't know anything? Who bit you?" He asked angrily.

Gah! I shouldn't be this confused! This should be a lesson to all, to never confront your creepy hot stalker. Why don't they teach you _that_ in school?

So seeing as how asking questions wasn't getting me anywhere, I tried a different approach.

"Please start at the very beginning?" I asked in my sweetest, most innocent voice I could muster under the circumstances.

Something must have worked, because Logan started rummaging in his pocket. I was about to tackle him- who knew what this crazy person was gonna pull out? A switchblade or gun was what I was thinking- when he finally dug out a little red cell phone.

"I'm going to call a friend," he talked slowly and quietly, as if fearing he would scare me. "He'll be able to explain everything."

I was so not going to stick around for round two of this. So when he turned his head for privacy, I carefully slipped out of the pavilion and made my way through the insanely huge crowd. When I got my silver Colorado pick-up unlocked, I risked a backwards glance. I could just see Logan's blonde head bobbing above the crowd. And he was aiming straight at me.

_Well too late for you sucker! _I thought as I hopped into my truck and drove home, away from Mr. Logan Danvers, a.k.a. Hot Crazy Dude. Either way, you get the picture…

XxXxXxX

I pulled into the short driveway that led up to our little house and shut off the engine of my truck. Our house wasn't that small; it could fit a family of four comfortably, and had three bedrooms. It just wasn't anywhere near roomy.

The outside was painted an egg-shell white, with maroon colored shutters. There was no garage, and the lawn was run-down. But then again, no one had lived there in over three years. So it was bound to be a little creepy.

I reached the door and unlocked it with the key we kept under the swing cushion. As much as I hate to admit it (even to myself) my thoughts were still centered on what Logan had said.

_No, I'll think about it later._ I told myself forcefully.

As I came in the door I realized that William was hiding behind a stack of boxes that had yet to be unpacked. I don't know how I knew it, I just did. Kind of like a deer knows there's a hunter in the trees without looking.

William, or Willy as I like to tease him, was my thirteen-year-old brother. But he looked absolutely nothing like me. Where I have black hair, he has blonde. I'm tall, he's short (well average I guess). I'm lean, he's just knobby and skinny.

"I know you're there. Where are mom and dad?" He always tried to scare me, but I always win.

"Do you always have to ruin my fun?" He groaned. "I think they're in the kitchen." And with that, my eternal pain stomped away to his room.

As I rounded the corner, I stubbed my toe on another box that has been sitting there for the two weeks since we moved from our small town in Ohio. I liked our old house a lot more than this one. The one that was in Hartford, Ohio was bigger, with more space to store stuff and the property that came with it was amazing. There were at least three acres in old soybean fields and another four and a half in forest. It was heaven for the outdoorsy person I was.

But then my mom got a wild hair up her ass and decided to move us for no good reason that I could see. According to her, it was for a change of scenery.

Bull shit.

My parents didn't do physical labor unless it was life dependant.

Which was why I about blacked-out when I saw my mom and dad actually _cooking_ dinner. And no, I don't mean popping in frozen pizzas, I mean actual cookage.

"Sooo…" I dragged out the o's, "Watcha making?" I asked, trying to act as if everything was normal (even though everything was definitely NOT). I hopped up onto one of the high bar stools that were placed around a little island in the center of the kitchen.

"Tacos, rice and beans," was all that my dad replied with. I studied him, looking for some clue as to why they were cooking my favorite meal.

My dad didn't look like he was trying to hide anything. His brown eyes betrayed nothing but annoyance at a small burn on his left hand he must have gotten from touching the hot skillet. His blonde hair was turning gray at a faster pace than before we moved. He still had his long crooked nose and ears that stuck out too far. All in all, he was still his slightly pudgy self.

My mom on the other hand, had a horrible poker face. I could see the little beads of sweat running down her smooth complexion. She would wipe it away as it ventured to close to her hazel eyes.

Yup, she was hiding something.

If it was anyone else, I would have started digging. But my mother tends to lock down and never tell you the secret if you press her for it. So, against my true nature, I waited there not-so-patiently, hoping that someone would spill the beans.

Minutes ticked by in awkward silence until good old dad told me to get my brother for dinner.

I made my way through the towers of boxes and down the hallway that led to mine and Willy's rooms. I banged on his door not so lightly and opened it when I received no response.

My brother sat sprawled on his bed, earbuds sticking out of his head. I walked over and tapped his shoulder. He totally wasn't expecting me 'cause he jumped two feet of his bed and let out this totally girly shriek.

"What?" He was irritated, great. Willy might not have a temper like I do, but when he was irritated it was like being around a teething baby who had a dirty diaper. Yeah, that bad.

"Dinner time!" I sung merrily, and made my way back down the hallway of Treacherous Towers. I was trying to forget about the possible reasons _why_ we were having tacos, and more on the fact that we _were_ having them.

I set the table and grabbed seven tacos and added some massive helpings of rice and beans. That was only first helpings.

For as much as a growing teenage boy, and two slightly overweight adults eat, I ate more. And yet I never gained weight, my friends totally envy me for that.

Throughout the meal, we just made polite dinner conversation. Never once bringing up what could possibly be the cause of- dare I say it? Family time! You see along with home cooked meals, family time was something of a rarity for us. We probably hadn't had a sit down meal in months.

So I was soaking up every minute of it. I was happy, something I hadn't been since I found out we'd be moving.

And then supper was over.

I should have known bliss wouldn't last long. But when we cleaned the table off and mom sent Willy to his room, I knew it was serious.

"Kaine," I swiveled my head toward dad and sat down. He looked nervous. "Since you'll be 18 next month, we feel you should know some things."

"Okay," I responded a little nervously.

This couldn't be good. I started to get queasy. Words were something that I, sadly, couldn't punch and kick until they relented.

"There was a reason we moved back here." Mom finally blurted out after a minute. I sat there for a while trying to comprehend what was being said.

Back?

"What do you mean?" I asked in my deadly calm voice my parents hate when I used.

"We lived here around the time we got you." Seeing what must have been a hilariously blank face under any other circumstance, dad continued.

"You were adopted sweetie…"

And that, my good people, was the phrase that changed my life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

I needed to punch something.

Bad.

If there's something I hate more than bragging or hot stalkers, it's being lied to.

I can't believe these people could look me in the eyes for almost eighteen years and not feel guilty!

"Honey, calm down!" I just realized I had a death grip on the wooden table, which was groaning in protest to the added pressure.

"Your parents made us promise to bring you here by the time you turned seventeen. We almost didn't do it, but we figured we had nothing to loose. Your dad's job wasn't looking so good, and I was laid off, so we moved here."

So many questions that had to be asked.

"What happened to them? Did you know them? What were they like? Did they say why I had to be here? And why did yo-?" My mom cut me off with a hand over my mouth, which I promptly licked.

"Slow down! All your questions will be answered to the best of our abilities!

"We had known your parents for almost two months. You were about a week old when we met them, they'd just moved form Russia. They seemed like they had a edge to them, but they were always polite and friendly. I don't know how else to explain it. They were nice people, but yet they didn't seem it…" Mom looked to her husband for guidance.

"I agree," he confirmed, "All that matters is that they were good to you."

I snorted. Yeah, that's why they gave me away.

"We always knew they were in some sort of danger or trouble, but that's as close as they would let us into their lives. They asked if we would watch over you for a while until they got things sorted out. We agreed without hesitation." Dad paused to collect breath, but mom took over.

"We didn't receive any word from them for almost a year. Then, out of the blue, we got a call from your mother. She was delirious; saying all sorts of things. Two things came across clearly: One, that your father had been murdered by some gang." She took a ragged breath. I felt my eyes tear up. I hadn't known them, but I was caught up in the emotions overtaking the room. My parents had truly cared for them.

"And two," Mom soldiered on, "That she feared she would be next. She asked if we would take care of you, and that we'd have to move out of state to keep safe. We readily agreed, because we'd fallen in love with you all those months ago since you came to us.

"We asked if we could do anything to help, even to just call the police, but she refused. She said there was nothing the police could do to help. She also told us to move back by the time you turned seventeen. Saying something like 'They'd have to help you.'"

I pulled my hands away from the center of the table where my mom was cradling them. It was just too much to take in at once.

I guess it does make sense, given how I'm all round nothing like my 'relatives'.

I stood up, and was about to walk out of the room when I thought of the most obvious question ever. I probably would have kicked myself if I wasn't more concerned about certain other things.

"What are their names?" Yeah, like I said, I should have asked that a while ago.

"Cassandra and Brian Kozakov. You look just like your dad." With names like that, it couldn't be hard to dig up any information on them.

"Did they say anything about the gang that killed them?"

"Only that they were located somewhere around here, and that they called themselves the Pack." My dad -should I still call him that? I think I should- supplied helpfully.

"Thanks," I whispered quietly, and I meant it more than ever before.

If it wasn't 9:30 p.m. I would be out, doing something useful. But since there's nothing I could do outside the house, I did what any American teenager does when they need answers.

I Googled. I Googled like I never had before.

I'm the type of person who actually likes lists. I guess I'm just weird like that.

So that's what I did while my computer went through its century long loading process. I wrote down any thing my parents said about my other parents- this was gonna get confusing- that crossed with what Logan said, because I knew this thing was _not_ a coincidence. I also wrote down any unknown words or ones with possible double meanings. Then I wrote what they could mean.

- Pack- gang? (Dictionary definition is group of dogs, wolves, etc.)

- Danvers- surname, as in Logan Danvers

- Bit- ?

- Female mutt- as in dog? (Fits with possible meaning of Pack…)

- Mom and dad said Pack was around here. Logan said to leave New York. Pack territory?

And this was my sad excuse meant to answer all my questions that were rocketing through my head.

By 11:00 I could only add a little more to my list of 'answers.'

There was no record of any murders /unidentified bodies / disappearances in the year my parents died, or any recent year after that that tied in with my other information. And my supposedly dead dad didn't even have an obituary.

Maybe they didn't actually die?

The naïve hope of ever finding the truth was squashed when I hacked into a few low-level government databases- what, did I forget to mention those particular set of skills?- There weren't even records of a Brian or Cassandra Kozakov.

I also found that there wasn't any group, gang, or organization called the 'Pack' anywhere in the state, excluding New York City. But the ones there didn't really match up with what I knew about the group that killed my parents.

I searched up the surname Danvers, too. There were tons in the database I used, but I managed to narrow it down by location. There was only one Danvers in a 50 mile radius of here, and that was a property owner by the name of Jeremy Danvers. Presumably Logan's relative. According to the site, the property has been in his family for generations.

I scribbled down the address for future reference. Because if I didn't find the answers I was looking for, I would be knocking on his door in the near future. But not unless it's absolutely necessary. I got the distinct vibes that Logan could be _very _dangerous this afternoon when we met. And believe it or not, I don't _try_ to get into fights or put myself in dangerous positions.

The only definition I could find in my search for 'mutt' was a cross between two breeds, specifically dogs. But last time I checked, I wasn't a dog, or any canine for that matter. That definition, however, does support the literal definition of pack.

But alas, -I love that word - my research, in reality, got me nowhere.

With that somber conclusion, I decided to fall back into my old routine I did whenever I felt hopeless, confused, or just can't sleep. I mindlessly drove around.

Since my parents would kill me if they knew I snuck out regularly just to waste gas, I went out my window.

It wasn't that hard. I used to do it when my bedroom was on the second story, now that it was on the first, I didn't even have to jump.

Our house was built on a hill, so I quietly pushed my truck about twenty feet down the sloped driveway. It really wasn't necessary since there was a steady trickle of cars that went by our suburban house until about three in the morning, and it was only 11:30. But I guess it's true when they say old habits die hard. When we lived in our old house, I'd have to push my truck down the road a bit so my parents wouldn't wake up at the sound of the engine.

I checked to make sure I didn't see any lights on in the house and started up the vehicle. Still no lights, good. My foot pushed the pedal just enough to ease it down the street, without making a sound.

And then I remembered _why _everyone was asleep this early. We had our first day at the new school tomorrow.

Damn it!

This created a whole new set of problems, but at least these were the normal new girl problems. Like new friends, new teachers, what I'm going to wear the first day, and just the all around dread of school.

_At least you'll be a senior this year,_ I tried to tell myself optimistically. It didn't work.

But I had bigger things to occupy my mind with right now.

Like my real parents, or lack there of.

I couldn't help it, I never even knew them, yet I couldn't stop thinking about everything I didn't know about them.

Were they kind? Loving? Beautiful? Fun? Careless? Neglegent?

There was so much I didn't know, or even what they looked like.

Maybe mom and dad (the adoptive ones) had a picture of them. I'd have to check tomorrow.

I hadn't even realized I had been crying as all those thoughts flashed through my mind. Since I liked to think of myself as a safe driver, I pulled over to the side of the road to ride out this rarity of an emotional outburst.

I noticed that to the left of me, was an open field, while to the right was a forest. It stretched off into the far distance, and the only word for it was breathtaking. The trees had begun their seasonal color change, in preparation of autumn. A thick woodsy scent hung heavily, and I inhaled hungrily through the open window.

I wanted to remember this place, so I glanced at my dashboard clock, getting a feel of how long it took to get here. I had driven about an hour, going roughly north. My photographic memory would serve me well as to what roads I had taken to get me here.

Even though it was dark, and I should have been getting sleep for school, I couldn't resist the pull of the forest. So I hopped out of the truck and locked my car.

As I got further into the woods, something caught my attention.

The smell.

It was the unmistakable scent from my encounter with Logan, the one that left me gasping.

This time it was so strong I was doubled over. Looking between my feet I noticed a paw print. It was definitely canine. But I wasn't going to stay around to see if its owner was friendly.

It didn't take me long to leave the cocoon of the forest and get into my truck. When my headlights turned on, they were reflected back at me.

There, about ten feet away on the side of the road was a mailbox, with those little reflector things. On the side of the box was stenciled the name Danvers, but the fact that my mind had subconsciously taken me here wasn't the freaky part.

No, it was the blonde wolf with the beautiful blue eyes sitting next to the mailbox that really got my attention.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Something about those eyes gave me the willies. Weren't wolves supposed to have yellow eyes? Pups had blue ones, and this wolf certainly wasn't a puppy.

This was unnatural.

So I hightailed it outta there. I like the outdoors, and pride myself on my knowledge of animals, but if I learned anything, it was that nature wasn't a force to reckon with.

I thought back to my list; Pack, mutt, territory, and now a wolf. It all fit word wise, but not reasonably or logically. What did wolves have to do with the Danvers? And according to Logan, me.

I planned on finding out.

XxXxXxXxX

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_ Pause, _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

I let out a grunt that was meant to be an evil laugh as my alarm clock met its very timely demise.

To say I wasn't a morning person would be a tragic understatement.

Those people who say they like to watch the sunrise _every_ morning should die. (For future reference, I have an overzealous liking of death threats. Don't take it personally, I don't mean them. Usually.)

So I dragged my sorry ass out of my super-comfy, twin-sized bed. And I made my way to the bathroom, successfully navigating the boxes cluttering the hallway.

I went through my normal morning bathroom routine –pee, brush my teeth, and then do my hair- then went back to my room to get dressed.

Damn I was itchy! My arm muscles occasionally twitched too. Even as I picked out my outfit, which consisted of jeans, a blue Aeropostale shirt, and black flip-flops, I couldn't stop scratching.

Luckily though, by the time I finished my breakfast, the itching had subsided.

I bid farewell to my parents and Willy and hopped into my truck, then drove off in the direction of the high school.

I arrived in about twenty minutes, and was disappointed, but not surprised. The building looked exactly like every other public high school in the U.S.: two stories of boring brick, two to three windows per classroom, and two main entrances with about four side doors. And don't forget the shortage of student parking. I had to admit though, the student body looked pretty big, and that meant the faculty was doing something right.

The secretary was polite but to the point as I collected my schedule, map and rulebook. I already liked her just because of her attitude. But somehow I didn't think she'd count when my parents inevitably asked if I had made any friends.

Ah, well, I still had six hours, twenty-three minutes, and forty-eight seconds (I feel if I round up it would give the false impression that I _want_ to be here) to get to know my fellow seniors.

I arrived late to first period, but I was excused given my state of 'newerness' to put it in Mr. Thornes' grammatically incorrect words. You gotta love the elderly history teachers. Note the sarcasm.

The rest of first period history passed in an unwanted, uneventful blur, even though history is usually my favorite subject. Lots of the other students stared. I attempted to talk to a few, but as it turns out, they don't mind talking _about _you, just not _to_ you.

Oh well, I didn't really care anyways. I'm not a very people friendly person.

The bell rang, and I was out of the room like a bullet, too many people at once for a long time make me feel like I'm suffocating.

I made my way to my locker, number 229, and inhaled somewhat clean air, before the halls were crowded by bodies. I guess I was too distracted to notice a very angry one-time stalker, and the smell he came with, barreling down on me.

"Great. Just fuckin' great," I muttered. Logan stops within five inches of my face. He was totally in my personal bubble.

"Why. Are. You. Here?" he managed to grind out from his clenched teeth.

"I go to school here dumbass," just to piss him off I said it as condescendingly as I possibly could.

"Logan?" A worried female voice called out from about twenty feet away. I didn't remove my gaze from Logan's face, not even to see who the newcomer was, although I did catch myself absentmindedly scratching my arm again. I could tell I was going to have another full out scratching session again.

"Logan, what's wrong?" The voice said again, closer this time.

Logan's eyes briefly flickered towards the newcomer before resting on me again, "Kat, she's the mutt!" He growled at me.

This guy had serious problems.

"Jesus Christ! Do you mind not fucking calling me things I don't fricken understand?" I turned to the girl, "And who the hell are you?" My self-reservation was non-existent at this point.

"Kat Danvers," she replied shortly. She was tall, about five-eight, with blonde hair the same color as Logan's, and blue eyes slightly darker than his. Overall, they looked like twins, actually, I'd bet anything that they were.

"Why are you in New York?" _She_ asked it curiously; at least she wasn't Logan's twin in personality.

None the less, the question was seriously starting to piss me off. "Because," I took a slight pause for emphasis, "I live here." My voice took on a wondrous tone, as if I couldn't believe it myself.

"This was the one you told us about? The one I saw in the woods?" Kat asked her brother, like I wasn't here.

"Yeah, her," he spoke as if he was disgusted with me.

"I will ask you one more time before I kick your asses. _What are you talking about?_" I was practically spitting it out, but I was beyond caring.

Logan seemed a little shocked, and Kat looked confused.

"You really don't know," Kat breathed.

"I thought we went over all this yesterday," I snapped.

"Well yes, but we didn't seriously think you didn't kn-" Kat was cut off by the sound of the bell. The halls were empty, and as if on cue, an authoritive figure strode toward us.

I didn't like her; I just didn't trust the little grey eyes under the thinning cap of short brown hair. Or the way she wore her grey pencil skirt right up to her armpits (I mean, EWWW), and her equally drab blouse that went over it.

"Three detentions, follow me please."

Told you I didn't like her.

But, we followed her like the good little students we all were. I was spending my walk of shame carefully distributing my glares among Kat, Logan and the woman who was leading us. We entered the office, received a few disparaging looks from various faculty members, and left with our detention slips, scheduled for that afternoon.

I made my way to second period chemistry (late but excused) without incident.

English literature, study hall, P.E., and calculus passed in relative silence. Apart from the gawking. What was wrong with these people? All they did was stare, not one person talked to me!

Walking through the hallways to lunch, a girl I recognized from calculus approached me.

Finally! Someone with a backbone! Hallelujah!

"Hi! I'm Tara, I'm in your fifth period calculus, you're Kaine right?" Tara seemed like someone I wouldn't mind being friends with; straightforward, mildly bubbly, in possession of a brain, and fun.

"Yeah, Kaine Arden. Do you mind showing me where the cafeteria is?" she nodded her head and took me on my way. Of course, I already knew where the cafeteria was- I did mention the photographic memory right? - I just felt that it was a polite tradition to act the part of the lost new girl.

We walked into the cafeteria and went to wait in line for our food.

"So do you like it here?" Tara was making polite conversation.

"Umm… Honestly? I can't tell the difference between here and my old school. Except I had friends there." Tara chuckled at my response.

"Where did you live before?"

"Hartford, Ohio, it's just a tiny town, mostly farmland. What about you, did you always go here?"

"Since the third grade, I moved here from New Jersey. And in case you didn't notice," She went on playfully, "it's not exactly the biggest town here either. Just replace fields for forests, and you never moved!" Tara grinned, her white teeth standing out against her dark complexion. She raked a slim hand through her long mahogany hair, and her brown eyes twinkled. Instantly, I realized how incredibly beautiful she was (and I don't roll that way, if you know what I mean). And short, she barely reached my shoulders.

We payed for our lunches, consisting of a toasted cheese and fries, and looked for a table. Only three were empty, located in the very back of the room. Surprisingly, Tara led me straight past all of the crowded tables to an empty corner one. I would have thought she was popular, or at least have a couple friends to sit with.

"Is this your usual table?" I ask, trying to make small talk, and learn about the girl in front of me.

"Yeah, Kat Danvers sits with me too. Have you met her? She's really nice. Oh! Here she comes!"

"Hey Tar…" The all too familiar voice trailed off as she realized who I was.

But Tara didn't notice and plowed on with the introductions.

"Kat, this is Kaine. Kaine, thi-"

"We've met," I cut in, feeling a little guilty. After all, Tara was just trying to help.

Kat carefully set her loaded tray down, and sat warily across from me, beside Tara.

Soon after, Logan plopped himself down as well, uncomfortably close to me. Again with the personal bubble!

"Hey Logan! You never sit with us, what's up?" Tara, who was blissfully unaware of the tension, asked.

"Just thought I'd get to know our new student." And he's such a good actor, that if I didn't already know him, I'd totally believe his lie. And I had also just caught on as to why he sat beside me- I was trapped. The wall about ten feet to my left, Logan to my right, and Kat and Tara across from me.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath as I understood their placement. Oh well, time to play nice.

"So Kaine, where'd you move from?" Kat asked, at least she sounded genuine. I didn't know why, but I thought I was going to like her.

"Ohio. Have you lived here your whole life?" If she was getting information from me, I was going to get some from her as well.

"Yup! I'm glad I did too. It's just so beautiful here, lots of trees." I noticed that neither twin had spoken about the mutt/pack thing at all since being in Tara's company.

"Yeah I know, it's great here, although the wolves are a little freaky," everyone's eyes widened a little. Kat had said she saw me in the woods, presumably last night, I wonder if she saw it too.

"Wolves?" Tara repeated slowly. I looked up at Logan, feeling his eyes on me; they were hard, with a warning glare.

Warning of what?

"Wolves," I confirmed, "I was driving around last night, trying to familiarize myself with the area, when I saw one by the road." I conveniently left out the part about the trespassing, I figured the Danvers Twins hated me enough already- for reasons unbeknownst to me.

"That must've been interesting, I don't think I've ever seen one. I didn't think they lived in this area. What did it look like?" Tara was definitely interested in the topic, although I wasn't paying much attention. Instead, I noticed the gaze passed between the twins. I couldn't tell what it meant, but I'm sure they did.

I turned back to Tara, "It was really big, with blue eyes and blon-"

"Kaine," The look Kat was giving me was either urgent, furious, or both. My vote was gonna go to both. "I want your opinion on this new lipstick I bought, you look like you'd have fashion sense. Not that I have much, got that from my mother I suppose… Anyway, come to the bathroom with me? Tara, you can come too."

Kat was clearly used to leading between her and Tara. And since Tara was going too, I figured that I could trust Kat enough.

"Sure," We all stood up and left Logan sitting by himself.

We stacked our empty trays- I hadn't even realized I had eaten- and walked to the bathroom. I was sort of sad to say that nothing eventful happened. I guess Kat really did just want lipstick advice.

Lunch was over by the time our giggling selves (what can I say? Those two were funny) made it back to the cafeteria. So we split up and I went to my final period, which taught as many languages as they could possibly cram into thirty-two weeks, with a four week culture course. They had something like this at my old school; it was an advanced program, just like it is here.

I was taking it because I thought it would look good on a college application, especially since I was getting my degree in anthropology.

I entered the classroom and selected my seat- the one in the back-right corner, closest to the door- and waited for my fellow classmates to join me. Soon, the two seats, one in front of me, the other cattycornered, were taken.

Then Logan walked in, looked around, saw the other desks in the room all filled up, glared at me like it was my fault, and sat down beside me.

As my teacher Ms. Pinkerton swept into the room gracefully, the itchiness in my arms flared up again.

As I was furiously scratching my arm, I saw Logan send a concerned look my way.

Huh? What did that mean?

Instead of dwelling on things I had no hope of understanding, I turned my attention back to Ms. Pinkerton.

She had that effortless grace everyone was envious of, and long limbs that looked perfect on her. Anyone else and they would have looked gawky. She couldn't have been older than twenty-four, and had a shock of red hair that went to her shoulders and flopped over her long, semi-crooked nose.

She seemed like an overall nice person, and a good teacher. She cracked a few jokes- that were actually funny- but she made sure to get her point across.

She started going over the test dates for the next three weeks and giving us a handout detailing the class. Again, I silently thanked my parents for having the sense to at least change schools at the start of the school year.

Our teacher gave us a little background information about herself:

"I graduated from Penn State University four years ago with a degree in linguistic anthropology. Somewhere along the line, I ended up teaching here. It's been nice, but I'm leaving after this year.

"So the first language we'll be learning is Latin, after all, it's the base of all languages." She continued talking, but I quickly lost focus. My head was spinning and I felt like I had a high fever. On top of it all, my damn skin still itched.

Logan slightly turned his head towards me, "Are you okay?" He plowed on without waiting for an answer, "you need to get outside." For some reason, I didn't think outside would help, but whatever.

"Ms. Pinkerton?" Logan interrupted the wrap-up of the classic first day speech. "Kaine doesn't look well, I think she needs to see the nurse."

She looked at me, "Do you need to go?" It wasn't really a question seeing as she was already writing out a hall pass.

"Logan, you can take her," Then she thrusted us the hall pass, shooed us out and slammed the door.

_God woman! It's not like I was rabid! _I thought, hoping my mental reprimand somehow made it to the teacher.

"At least the witch has some sense," Logan muttered to himself.

I could only manage to force out, "Your calling our teacher a witch?" before I started stumbling.

Only now did I realize we had taken the hallway _away_ from the nurse's office. Instead, we were headed toward one of the side doors.

"Where are we going?" I was sweating now. What the hell was happening to me?

"Outside," Was all that he said before he scooped me up, ran out the doors, across the empty soccer field and into a copse of trees. He set me down.

"I can walk on my own than-!" That would be about the time I started vomiting.

Logan finally decided to let me in on the big secret; "Okay, first, you're a werewolf, please don't freak out; two, you're starting your first Change; and three, _please_ do as I ask. It'll make things so much easier on you. Kat and I are werewolves too. Understand?"

Hmm… I'd have to think about this when I didn't feel death was imminent. For now, I'd see where all this was going, so I nodded my head.

"Okay then, take off your shirt and jeans and get on all fours. Now." That was definitely something I was _not_ okay with. I mean, seriously, in how many situations have you been in that required you to strip for a guy proclaiming to be a werewolf? I'm hoping not many, and if you have, two words: seek help.

By this time the pain- and vomiting- was subsiding, and I could speak, actually yell would be a better word. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Kaine, just do it please, it'll be much better in the long run if you do. And I won't look, I promise." And then he turned his back, something I knew took a heavy amount of trust.

Something made me want to trust him and I did, to and extent. So I found a little ring of bushes that were about twenty feet away from where Logan was now standing and hid my clothes. Then I dropped to all fours in the middle like he had said.

"Now what?" I heard him settle down into a sitting position.

"Just breathe, and think about the Change," Logan said calmly, like he does this sort of thing all the time. Which, if what he said was true, he does.

"I can't think of something I've never done!" And then suddenly, I felt like a complete idiot. Here I am, half naked in a ring of bushes, being told how to turn into a _werewolf_ by my hot one-time stalker. I get up to pull my clothes on when a searing pain rips through my body, and drops me back onto my hands and knees.

As I writhed in pain on the grass, I started to think about what might support Logan's claim:

I've always been different; heightened senses, and being a little stronger and faster than everyone else. And I'm adopted, who knows who my real parents were? Then the day I met Logan I started smelling that strong woodsy, wet dog scent, different from anything I've ever come across. Then Kat says she saw me in the woods last night, when all I saw was a wolf with the same eyes and blonde hair as Kat. Pack, bit, mutt, and territory all fit in with classic werewolf lore.

And then it hits me.

Oh. My. God. I'm a werewolf! And I'm Changing! Holy freaking cheese on a stick!

He said to breathe and to think about Changing, but damn this was painful! It felt like every bone in my body was breaking and reforming into those of a wolf.

I must have been screaming bloody murder because Logan called out, "I know it hurts, but you have to stop screaming, someone will hear you. Calm down, relax, give in, it will be over soon."

'Hurt' was an understatement, I'm not usually dramatic, but I bet you getting hit by a _bus_ would be less painful than this.

I mean, you can imagine my discomfort when my bones started snapping like twigs, then reforming. Or when my organs shrunk or expanded to fit my new body. My favorite part was when my skin started to sprout fur in various places. Wasn't that _fun!_ (That will probably be the most serious sentence of sarcasm I will _ever_ say. (Did you even understand that?) (I'm not sure _I _did…))

After about fifteen minutes of this torture, I was a wolf. That's all I knew. I didn't know what I looked like, what I could do, or even remembered where I was. Honestly, I didn't care. I just wanted to sleep.

I gave in quickly, curled into a ball and went to sleep right there on the forest floor, with my bushy tail touching my wet nose, and Logan humming softly.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

I woke to the moonlight pouring through a window, and no recollection of what occurred between my first Change and now.

I took in my surroundings, not yet wanting to face what ever lay ahead. I was lying on a queen sized bed, and covered with a warm blue comforter. The room was nicely furnished; the dresser, bureau, nightstand, bookshelf and bed were all finished oak wood. The walls were painted a light blue with white trim.

After several more minutes of laziness, my curiosity compelled me to get up. Only when I pulled the covers back- and saw much to my embarrassment that I was only wearing an oversized t-shirt- did I realize Kat was sitting cross legged on a wicker chair placed in the corner of the room.

"Geesh! Scare the shit outta me why don't you?" Kat just stood up and smirked at my comment.

"Do you remember what happened?" She asked a softly.

"A little, I remember the 'you're a werewolf' bombshell, nothing much after that," I said dryly. _I wonder where I am…_

"You're in our house," Kat answered my unasked question, "Logan, Mom, Dad, Nick and Jeremy," no clue who these people are, "Are waiting for us downstairs." Kat tossed a set of clothes at me, "You can wear these, we didn't grab yours, sorry." She turned her back so I assumed I was changing now. The clothes smelled like a werewolf, but not Kat or Logan. It made me nervous.

"Okay, I'm ready," we left the room and walked down a hallway that had three doors on either side of it, and a staircase at the end. "Do you have any food?" I blurted out. What can I say? I like food, and I haven't eaten in who knows how long!

Kat turned and smiled at me, "Of course we do! There are five werewolves in this house, for god's sake!"

Kat's grin went wolfish (if you'll excuse the pun), and my growling tummy did a little flip.

At the bottom of the stairs there was another long hallway, Kat turned into the first room on the right. It was a den with a cozy fireplace, a desk, sofa, and two big cushy chairs. Overall, it looked very welcoming.

The people occupying said room however, were anything but. The first man to catch my eye was sitting in one of the chairs. He was the only one in the room radiating calm and control. He was a little above average height with black hair that needed cut. His eyes were dark and slightly slanted. He was a handsome man who looked barely over thirty-five.

On the sofa sat three people, all of which looked anxious with varying other expressions. The closest to the dark eyed man was blonde haired, blue eyed and gorgeous; definitely Logan's dad. He looked the most fearsome, the very epitome of danger.

The woman sitting next to him was alert, but less scary and her eyes held more curiosity than anything.

She had almost silver blonde hair and blue eyes also. She looked to be in her late twenties, and she was very tall. I'd take her to be the twins' mom.

The final man- apart from Logan who stood behind his parents- was the tall, dark, and handsome type. His black wavy hair fell down to just touch his shoulders. Olive toned skin covered his lean five foot eleven frame. He looked the easiest going of the bunch, with amusement flickering in his dark eyes. Yet he looked _very _confident in himself that he could take me down without much effort.

"Please have a seat," It was the calm dark-eyed one who spoke first. As he gestured towards the only empty chair, I felt compelled to sit. But since I'm not one to do what I should, I remained standing.

Everyone's gaze, including Kat's who had moved to stand by her brother, turned stony. Except the one who told me to sit, I presumed he was he leader, his features remained stoic.

"Very well then," he took a sip from the glass he was holding, "I'm told your name is Kaine Arden. Do you remember anything of the past four days?"

Four days? Oh, shit!

"No, just that I'm a werewolf, and a hungry one at that," I said, hinting that I _needed_ food. After all, I have a guess that keeping cool instead of reading from the classic 'Who are you? Where am I?' would unsettle any of my opponents more.

"Hmmm… I see," He sounded like a shrink. God do I hate shrinks.

"Doesn't it bother you at all that you woke up a monster?" The woman I guessed to be Kat's mother spoke up.

"Nope, not really. I always knew I was different." My stomach rumbled, "Look, I'll answer your questions as soon as you get me some Goddamn food." I paused, "Please?" I added, after all, I didn't want to be rude.

The dark haired man on the couch grinned, and the one man's slanted eyes held brief amusement.

"Of course, follow me please," the roomful of werewolves stood up as one, and the two dark haired men went in front of me, Kat stood beside me, and everyone else followed behind. We walked down the remainder of the hall until it spilled out into a huge kitchen.

Ahhh… paradise.

As the grinning man dug out food form various cupboards and the fridge, the leader made introductions.

"That's Nick getting food, Elena and Clayton are the twins' parents," he gestured to each person in turn.

Clayton still hadn't taken his eyes off of me, it was quite unsettling. "I'm Jeremy, and of course, you know Logan and Katherine."

Platefuls of sandwich ingredients were placed on the counter, and Jeremy gestured for us to eat.

YAY! FOOD!

From the way I ate, you would have thought I'd been starved for two months. In reality, it's only been a couple days.

I wonder where my parents- HOLY SHIT! MY PARENTS!

I dropped my second sandwich and went all tense, as did everyone else when I suddenly moved. Clayton even took a half lunge forward.

"My parents! Where do they think I've been?"

Everyone let out the breath they had been holding, and Elena answered, "I called pretending to be from your school. I told them your culture class is taking a surprise, government funded European tour. I snuck into your house and grabbed a duffle bag full of stuff." And while she was there, they probably went through my stuff, "I don't think they totally believed me, but they didn't ask any prying questions."

I'm not sure if that explanation made me feel any better, but it settled me a little for now.

"Kaine, why don't you tell us about yourself," Jeremy asked serenely. Again, I felt compelled to comply, but likewise I chose not to.

"And what if I don't trust you?" Before they could interrupt, I went on, "I mean, I know you probably could have killed me multiple times, but I just found out that we're all werewolves. And Logan tried attacking me, and then my parents think I'm in Europe which means you have at least a month to do whatever you want to me. And _you,_" I looked at Clayton, "look ready to rip my throat out. And I have a feeling you wouldn't mind doing it." A couple of the werewolves grinned feral like.

Then I took a better look at Clayton, "I know who you are!" Confusion flickered across a couple faces, "Professor Danvers; I saw you give a lecture on anamorphic cultures and societies at Youngstown State University! You are SO the reason why I want to be an anthropologist!" I couldn't help but add a totally regrettable squeal at the end. It was just way too girly.

"Thank you…" Clayton said unsurely, I had a feeling hearing him like that was something of a rarity. Sadly though, he didn't relax his stance at all.

"I don't suppose you people would let me just walk out of here and resume my normal life, would you?"

I already knew the answer, but I had to ask.

"This one's a smart one," Nick spoke up for the first time; you could tell he was being sarcastic.

"I'm afraid not Kaine," Jeremy said, "You're not in control of your Changes. And I think there are things you need to know, as well as things _we_ need to know."

I sighed. "Twas worth a try," I mumbled, though by the way Kat giggled I had been heard.

"Fine!" I snap, "What do you want to know?" I polished off my fifth sandwich and looked at Jeremy.

"Who are your parents?" Elena asked.

"Donna and Keith Arden," I wasn't going to give in _that_ easily.

"Your _real_ parents please," she rephrased her question.

I scowled at her, "Brian and Cassandra Kozakcov."

The werewolves turned to Elena for confirmation, she only shrugged.

"Why are you all looking at her for the answer?" I was confused now; I thought Jeremy was in charge.

Nick answered, "She keeps the dossiers of all the mutts, and she's the Alpha."

"What about you?" I pointed to Jeremy.

"Former Alpha," he said softly, but not regretfully or enviously.

"Oh," I was kinda confused now. I mean, I'm all for women having power, but Jeremy was the one that seemed dipped in power, not Elena. Maybe she was new to the role? I'd have to come back to that.

But back to the topic at hand, "So do you know anything about them?" I asked eagerly.

Elena just shook her head, "No," upon seeing my deflated look she added, "I'm sorry." Humph, like that would make it better.

I wouldn't give up though, so I helpfully supplied the fact that they were Russian.

"Perhaps you could call the Russian Alpha?" Jeremy threw me a bone and asked Elena.

"Yes, I'll do that," Elena replied distractedly as she continued to scrutinize me.

After a few minutes of that annoying awkward silence Kat asked me if I had any questions.

There was a nagging question I wished to voice, "Well," I began, "If there are werewolves, what other kinds of supernatural's are there?"

Kat blinked hard, as if surprised by my insight, she glanced at Elena as if for permission before she answered. "There are witches, sorcerers, vampires, shamans, half-demons, and necromancers; basically anything you've ever heard of. Your culture teacher? She's a witch." I stared at her blankly as I digested everything. It was A LOT to take in.

"That's why you called her a witch." I voiced to Logan who only nodded in return.

"What?" I say, getting frustrated- I always had had a hot temper- "You don't talk unless you're threatening someone?" He didn't do a thing in response to my outbreak.

Kat, Nick and Elena, however, chuckle. "He gets it from his father," Elena mock whispers.

The man in question grins at her and then returns to his one-sided stare down with the side of my head.

"Which stories are true about supernaturals?" Having an anthropologists view on life, I naturally wanted to know everything about any cultures, especially ones that I was now apart of. "Like do vampires really live forever? You know, the regular myths."

"No but they do live for a _very_ long time," Kat started to fill me in, "They do drink blood though. Witches aren't evil; in fact, they study more defensive than offensive spells. Sorcerers aren't evil either, well, some of them are (especially Cabals), but they study offensive spells. Shamans are more mysterious, and quiet, but I do know that they can at least astral project. There's all different types of half-demons; from fire to chaos to ones that turn there skin diamond hard. Necromancers raise and communicate with the dead. Umm… There's also clairvoyants, druids, other shape shifters and I know I'm missing about a dozen more, but unless I go through my notes I'm not sure which ones."

"Notes?"

"I make it my own personal job to learn all about the different races," Kat informed me, "You never know when you might need them."

I noticed everyone had left the room except for Kat, me, and Logan. Apparently, I had passed Clayton's _Should I or shouldn't I rip out her throat?_ test. Yay me!

"So what all can we do?" I was leaning forward in my chair like the good little pupil I was.

"Werewolves? Well we have heightened senses, we're stronger and faster than humans, we sprout fur once a week, we age slower, heal faster, and umm… that's it," Kat finished.

I looked at Logan, "When we met you asked me who had bit me, what's that mean?"

Logan didn't answer for a moment, "You can either be born a werewolf or bitten by one. I had assumed you'd have been bitten."

I was confused, "Why did you think that?"

"Only male werewolves are hereditary," he answered before striding out of the kitchen. The way he said it though made it sound like a warning, or a threat. I felt uncomfortable, no, _unsafe_ after that one line.

All the newfound trust I had in this family started to crumble down slowly, but inevitably.

Kat definitely felt my unease, but she kept on talking like she didn't know anything. "Well, that's not completely true; when two werewolves mate they can have female werewolves. That's what happened to you and I. Mom was bitten by dad."

"Aren't there other females?"

"As far as we know, there is just the three of us. Then again, you managed to avoid notice for seventeen years. Who knows how many others did the same?" I got chills up my spin from the thought of hormonal teenage girls tearing down the street as wolves.

"So the other races," I changed the subject, "Do you know any from them?"

Kat just laughed, "Of course I do! There's Paige and Savannah, they're witches, and Paige is married to Lucas, a sorcerer. Jaime is a necromancer, and Jeremy's mate. Cassandra is a vampire- although we don't see much of her," she lowered her voice, "Mom doesn't like her much." I heard a growl from another room before Kat giggled and continued, "Hope is a chaos half-demon, you'll probably meet her when Karl comes. There's a shaman on the Council, but I can't remember his name. I don't personally know any clairvoyants or druids, but I know people who do. And my mom's met other shifters-" I _had_ to cut her off!

"Okay! I get it! You know a lot of them! Now it's my turn to talk. What's the Council? And who's Karl? What's a mate? Who is-" I cut myself off because Kat wouldn't get to answer my questions if I didn't shut up.

"The Interracial Council is a group of supernatural's who try to help the supernatural community. A mate is the equivalent of a soul mate, but _much_ stronger and is just a werewolf thing. And Karl is a Pack member." I stopped breathing.

"A _what _member?" My voice sounded twice as deadly as it had ever been before. I felt as if I had been bulldozed, like a cold pit was progressively consuming me from the inside out.

I didn't wait for a response, I already knew the answer. "_Pack _as in the group that killed my mother and father?" I managed to hiss out from a body that dared not to move for fear of attacking the person who stood in front of me.

Kat's expression went from confused to horror filled understanding of what I was saying and what was about to happen.

I didn't care.

With that thought in mind, I went to lunge as rage coursed throughout my body. But mid-leap I collapsed into a writhing heap. Hair once more sprouting from my body. Clothes once again shredding around me. Bones breaking once more.

I didn't care.

I tried to pull myself up, only to be pushed back down by my traitorous body.

I don't know how long it lasted, or what happened during my frequent blackouts. Eventually, I awoke to a dank cement floor with steel bars surrounding me.

My chance at revenge and freedom: gone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

During the few lucid moments I had over the next week, I occasionally heard Kat and Elena, sometimes even Jeremy talking to me. Kat and Elena would talk of trivial things, just to get my mind off of what was happening. I only saw Jeremy when things got particulary bad and I thought I seriously might die. He talked me through the Changes and often times soothed me to an exhausted sleep afterwards.

Though for all their niceties, never once did it slip my mind that they were Pack.

But I wasn't aware of anything more than half the time. I had horrific hallucinations of good memories, add that to the nightmares of Changing, and I was screaming ninty percent of the time I was caged.

Towards the end of the week I was mostly consious. What surprised me was when a new werewolf came down to visit me. I smelled him before I saw him. He sat down in the chair placed in the corner for whoever was down there. The stranger introduced himself as Reese; he seemed nice enough. Reese didn't talk about me or impersonal things, but talked about his history. He told me that he joined the Pack fifteen years ago after getting in trouble with some man eating mutts.

I felt shivers crawl up my spine to know that werewolves out there actually _eat _people.

"Why?" I croaked. It was the first intelligable word I'd said to anyone since I'd lost it.

Reese looked a little surprised that I'd said anthing. "Because they helped me. They gave me somewhere to stay and they -mildly ant first- trusted me." I noticed a faint Australian accent peeking through his alto voice.

"I can get out," I said abruptly

"What?" He was confused.

"These bars? I can break them."

He stayed silent.

"I already tried it. It's not that hard to do," my voice wasn't as rough now that I'd started using it again.

His face was still blank, though disbelief flickered in his eyes. I always hated not being believed.

I growled, stood up, wincing at my leg cramps, and walked over to a spot about seven feet from where Reese was seated. Grabbing two bars, I pulled, they started bending and groaning, then they snapped. I lowered my hands and grinned at Reese. He paled, stood up and walked up the stairs.

I knew escaping at this point wasn't an option now that I'd told Reese what I could do. I had never really planned on doing it anyway. I felt this weirdly strong pull to stay, and I generally trusted my instincts.

Twelve seconds later four werewolves- Elena, Kat, Clay and Reese- decended the stairs.

I stood up in all my naked glory- I had never been very modest- and waited for the veredict.

Elena spoke, "You might as well come out." She sounded amused of all things.

I calmly stepped out, "May I have some clothes?" Just because I wasn't modest didn't mean I enjoyed standing naked in front of strangers.

She handed me a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, they were mine. They must have come from the bag she had taken from my house. I threw on the comfy over-worn clothes and followed everyone upstairs.

I was led back down the hallway towards the den. I slammed on my brakes as a faceful of scents hit me. About seven coming from the den total.

They were all werewolves.

I was tempted right then and there to make a break for it. I was being cocky if I said I could handle two of them at once, much less eleven! I mean, I wasn't stupid.

But then Kat put her hand on my shoulder and murmered, "Don't worry, we aren't going to hurt you." Oddly, I felt a little reasured.

Conversation ceased as all eye's turned to me. I just lifted my chin and returned each of their stares. A tense silence followed until a man started to laugh.

He had the same coloring as Nick, who had to be this man's brother, or _maybe_-it was a stretch- son. Only this man was about as wide as he was tall. And it was _all _muscle.

"She's a proud little one isn't she?" He chuckled, walked up to me and stuck his hand out. "I'm Antonio, Nick's father."

I took his hand, "Kaine," I replied, though my face was hard.

The bubble holding the tension in popped.

"You happened to return during a Pack meeting," Jeremy spoke softly.

"And before we do one more thing, I want you to know that we did _not _kill either of your parents." Elena told me firmly.

"How do you know that?" I asked in that scary calm voice of mine.

She answered calmly, "We keep track of every mutt we kill. And we only kill man-eaters." They kill people?

"The Pack killed them. That's you, is it not?" I wasn't ready to believe her, not yet.

"It is, but we are the North American Pack. As far as we know, there are Spanish, Russian, United Kingdom, and Australian Packs. It could have been any one of those who did it. I promise you Kaine, we did not kill your parents."

I knew she wasn't lying. She just wasn't.

"I'm sorry," I said it strongly. I'm a very stubborn person, but I know when I'm at fault.

She nodded briskly, "Now that that's cleared up, I'll introduce you to everyone. We'll finish talking later."

She ran through the room, matching names to faces.

Karl was the tall dark-haired one sitting on the arm of the couch. He was strongly built and looked more like a business man than anything remotely werewolf.

Away from the darkness, I could now see Reese clearly. He was average height with blonde hair and blue eyes. he was wiry, definitely the running kind. His hand was missing two fingers. That piqued my curiosity, I'd have to ask him about that.

Elena reintroduced Antonio, and moved to two men on the edges of the group. I tuned out the name and barely glanced at their faces. One was young- though still older than me- and the other one was about Elena's age.

I heard someone mention the young one as being Joey Stillwell's son- like I'd know who that was.

But like I said, I wasn't really attentive, I was too busy thinking.

If the Pack hadn't killed my parents, who had?

Was this Pack going to help me?

Was I even going to be allowed to leave?

If I was, what would I do?

Gah! Too many questions! Most of which I had no way of learing the answer to.

My brain hurt- which generaly only happened during my AP math class.

After introductions, and everyone went back to their conversations, I quietly slipped out of the den- though every set of eyes noticed me leaving. Entering the kitchen, I headed to the sink, got a glass of water and a few aspirins from where I had noticed them from earlier.

I sat on the bar stool and practiced my Tai Chai breathing.

About ten minutes of calm later, footsteps padded into the kitchen. I caught a whiff of Logan. Damn! Even his scent was sexy!

"We're going on a Pack run," He said it gruffly, "Mom said to invite you." he made it clear it wasn't his idea.

I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a stubborn kid, which is exactly what led me to politely say, "No thank you."

Hey, at least I was polite.

Logan sighed, "Look, please just come, if you don't, I'm supposed to stay and babys- watch you, and I _really _want to run."

"Well jeez, when you put it that way, no." I figured I might as well get some fun out of today.

Logan growled, "Kaine, please?" He certainly didn't sound like he meant it. More like he was getting multiple knives stabbed through various nonlethal parts of his anatomy.

What did I do to make him hate me?

Two people can play at that game, "Nope," I said, popping the 'p', "Not unless you say it like you really mean it," I grinned.

He gritted his teeth, "Kaine," He took a deep breath, "I really want you to come."

Other than hearing his teeth grind, I almost believed hime. Almost.

"And Logan, I really don't want to go. So whatcha gonna do?" I taunted him.

I barely uttered the 'do' before he tackled me from the bar stool to the floor. My head bounced off the wood floor.

And the headache I'd swallowed half a bottle of aspirin for was back.

I looked up at him stradled across my thighs (have I ever explained how hot he is?) and growled very deeply. I wasn't playing any more.

I grabbed his shoulders and lifted my hips, throwing him twenty feet across the kitchen, but he was up again in an instant. He looked... surprised? Either that or scared- but I had a hard time thinking of him as scared of anything.

As I was thinking Why the hell would he look like that? I heard a thunder of footfalls stop at the door.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Clayton bellowed.

Logan brushed past him, muttering, "She's unnatural."

Were there such things as natural werewolves?

The run was postponed. So instead of being in the woods, we were all seated around the long oval oak table occupying the sunroom.

Elena sat at the head, Clayton and Jeremy on either side. Jeremy sat with a small hitch in his lips I was beginning to associate as a smile.

What was so funny?

Clayton wore a scowl; I guess that shouldn't have been a surprise.

Antonio sat beside Jeremy and on the other side of him was Nick. Next to Nick was Karl then Reese then me. Across from Antonio was Logan then Kat, Joey's son then that other werewolf that was introduced while my mind was wandering.

From what I concluded, it was arranged according by rank, and I was clearly the untrusted omega wolf in this pack.

Elena looked at me, "I called the Russian Pack on your behalf; they said they wanted to talk to you. They wouldn't give us any information though. After this meeting, you can call them."

I wanted to call them now, but I knew better than to ask that when I was already in hot water.

"Kaine, how were you able to break the cage bars?" I was surprised this question didn't come up sooner.

I only shrugged, "I don't know, I just can," I didn't think it was that remarkable.

Kat joined in, " I know you're new to this, but you shouldn't be that strong. Antonio Muscleman Sorrentino couldn't even do that." She shook her head in wonder.

"And being strong enough to throw me twenty feet? Impossible," Logan's eyes held awe before shuttering closed the emotions again and looking at me with disdain.

He's bipolar. He has to be.

"I don't know how I did it, I thought it was normal for a werewolf." I was confused now.

"You don't remember anything of your birth parents?" Elena asked.

"Nothing, but I was only about a month old when I got handed to my adoptive parents."

"Did you have any abilities before your first Change?" asked Nick.

"Yeah, I guess. I had noticably more strength and speed than other kids, and I could hear and smell better than them. And I never get sick or rarely ever get hurt. That's normal for a werewolf, right?"

By the looks on their faces, it wasn't.

"Well, me and Logan are full-blooded werewolves like you, so we were kinda like that as kids too. But we didn't get noticable 'superpowers' until after our first Change, which came when we were sixteen. That's also a little strange for a normal werewolf, who Change around seventeen or eighteen if it's genetic," She barrelled on.

"But you Changed only a month or two before you'll turn eighteen, which is completely normal, at least it is for a male werewolf with the genes..." She trailed off and started mumblig to herself.

But I had already gotten the message.

I mean, how ironic could it be that a werewolf was weird for any other reason than being a werewolf?

Jeremy spoke up, "While we sort things out, why don't you call the Russian Pack. The number is written on the pad by the phone in the den."

If I didn't honest to god want to know what the Russians had to say, I would have, again, defied orders and stayed.

Instead, I stood up and strode from the sunroom.

And to think, I escaped without getting yelled at.

XxXxXxXxX

I hung up the phone and walked out of the den. I followed my week old scent past the sunroom, ignoring the curious faces, and went into the bedroom I had woken up in. The one with the blue walls and oak furnishings.

I crawled under the covers and drifted to a thoughtless, dreamless sleep before I had the chance to think.

Because I knew at this moment nothing I could think of would erase what I had just learned.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

I may have thought my sleep was dreamless, but I just didn't remember them.

* * *

_My foster parents watched me closely, curiously, as my four-year old self deftly juggled the 3 ten __pound boxes. They didn't say anything though; they knew I wasn't normal. Their minds thought __up excuses and logical explanations for my strangeness. After all, they were only human._

XxXxXxXxX

_The doctor came into the check-up room, scrawling on her clipboard. "Healthy as usual."_

_Today was my yearly physical, I was seven._

_"Are you sure you don't want her blood teste-?" The doctor began to ask in her thick Indian __accent._

_Mom cut in, "You know how she is around needles. Besides, I doubt she'll have some __life-threatening illness; she doesn't even get colds." My mom recalled how every year the same __conversation took place._

XxXxXxXxX

_I'm nine as my mom hands me my small duffel bag. "The dressing room is right over there," She __pointed to a dark hallway leading to a gold painted door, "Everything's in your bag, get ready and __Ms. Lee will introduce you to the other girls." I only glared._

_I heard her sigh as I trudged down the hallway, horrified at the thought of spending the two hours __leaping around in a frilly pink leotard._

_About an hour later I sat in the passenger seat of the car, smirking to no one in particular. My mother __on the other hand, was fuming, "I can't believe you acted that way! Your first lesson and you get __kicked out!"_

_I was actually quite proud of those statistics._

_My sweet, sweet mother was refering to the way I had perhaps twirled my stuck-up partner a bit __too hard, or the way I'd done my three laps a tad too fast- I was trying to escape the little kiss-ups __who were bragging about their new Gucci bags to the teacher. Maybe my mother was even __refering to the way I'd snarled at Ms. Lee for saying my turns weren't tight enough. I didn't even __want to be there, I certainly didn't give a thought about my turns!_

_And I couldn't help that I unnerve people who don't try to know me. I'm always a little too fast, a __little too strong, a little too odd._

_At least it got me out of the dance lessons._

XxXxXxXxX

_Fourteen years-old and I have a second degree black belt in Karate and a yellow belt in Tae Kwon __Do._

_I like martial arts; being too fast and strong is envied, not shunned. I can knock people on their __butts and get praise, not riducule. I'm in my glory as I stand in my white uniform, staring people in __the eye as the crowd cheers us on. We duck and hit, kick and dodge._

_Amazingly, I've even made a few friends: Emery and Nolan. They both train with me. Nolan's __girlfriend, Valerie is really nice too. She's just starting out in the martial arts, but she's good. I'm __sure we'll all be friends._

_My master's say I've gained the gait of a tiger,- they always talk like that, I mean, they really are __from Asia- dangerous and graceful. __Unlike the housecat I'd be if I'd stuck to frills and leotards._

XxXxXxXxX

_I spend my seventeenth birthday at home with my three closest- and only- friends; Valerie, Nolan __and Emery. We're clearing up the third round of popcorn and pop glasses when Nolan speaks._

_"I think being a werewolf would be awesome," We had just finished watching my favorite movie _Blood and Chocolate_._

_"Why?" I ask him._

_Nolan hesitates by my question, "You get all those abilities."_

_"But is it worth it? I mean, Vivian has to keep everything a secret from Aiden and any other __human. She's given no choice on how to live her life."_

_Valerie steps in, "But she has her Pack. Sure, there's a few of them that only want to hurt or use __her, but she really cares for Astrid. And there's a happy ending."_

_Valerie loves happy endings._

_"Only because she killed everyone who tried to stop her," I really did hate to burst her bubble, __"Besides, real life never has happy endings, just short content breaks." I murmer._

_That night I told the three that I was moving._

XxXxXxXxX

_I took a deep breath, ignoring the werewolf scents, and dialed the number on the post-it pad. I __heard the dial tone and about freaked out and hung up when a deep voice answered, __"Zdravstvuite?"_

_It was Russian- I should have anticipated that. How the hell was I supposed to talk in Russian, __maybe this wasn't Roman? I decided to take a stab at getting an english speaking werewolf._

_"Hello, may I speak to Roman...,"I glanced at the pad, "Novikov? Please?"_

_I recieved a grunt in response, then some shuffling in the background. After three minutes of __listening to an exchange in Russian I was beginning to think they had forgot about me, then a __more pleasent, lighter voice said, "Hello." Thank god for english speaking Russian werewolves!_

_"This is Kaine Arden, I understand you're the Russian Alpha and that I was to call you." I __sounded horribly stiff, but what can I say, I hate talking to strangers over the phone._

_"Ah, Kaine, So good to talk to you! I knew your father, such good man. I hoped I get to talk to __his child someday!" I had to work to understand him, his accent was so thick._

_"Until two weeks ago, I didn't know I was his child," I muttered drily, "I was wondering if maybe __you could tell me about him?" I was so desperate for information that at this point if he didn't give __me any, I wouldn't bat an eye at getting on the next flight to Russia and Kicking his ass._

_Thankfully- for the airline would be seriously pissed if I'd payed for a ticket in nickels- he had __information to supply, "Of course! Well he was Pack member here for many years; my right-hand __man so to speak. Then he met woman. One day he up and left. He called from Moscow pay __phone to tell us he okay; explained he running away with woman who was pregnate." I heard him __take a sip of a drink, "They planned to go to America and start over. He ask us not to contact __them. I not happy with his choice, but respected it._

_"Two months went by before we heard from him again. He was...," Roman searched for the__word, "Frantic. Brian said Cassandra taken by werewolf ask us for help to get her __back. I not want to end relationship badly so I agreed."_

_I must have been deathly silent because Roman said, "Kaine? You still there?"_

_I responded with a quiet yes, hoping he would get on with the story._

_He did, "We tracked down your mother, it not hard to do, and not many people to fight. Your __father devestated to find after rescue that your mother was werewolf. Then shortly after we __learned pregnancy was miscarriage. I knew he lied, though for your own good. Brian wanted to __keep secret so you be safe." I heard him take another sip of his drink._

_"I sent in clean-up team, they found log book. I read it and was horrified with what he did to __Cassandra. He turned her to werewolf using his experimentational spit. Then also did it to __embryo- to you. It supposed to create super-werewolf. From what Elena said, it worked. I not __know why it not make you Change then in the womb, but it make you like born hereditary __werewolf. Mutt tortured your mother with aweful experiments on you and her. I'm so sorry __Kaine."_

_What was I supposed to say? Oh, it's not your fault I'm an experimentational super-werewolf. No, __really, it's nothing! __Instead I cleared my throat and asked, "Is there anything else I should know?"_

_"We tried to get hold of Brian, he not listen. He always stubborn one," Roman kind of faded off, __reminescing on the past. __"But Kaine, I need you know we never killed mutt, he slipped away. I not think he reappear after __seventeen years, but be careful. No doubt he still wants you back because of abilities you have. If __you need us for anything, you only call."_

_"Okay," My throat was about as dry and scratchy as sandpaper. The mutt who did that to me and my __mom was still alive? __I had to ask the million dollar question though, "Do you think he killed my parents?"_

_Roman considered for a momment, "Not without help. Only reason he slipped past us in first __place because he had mix of mutts and humans around him. But he not fighter."_

_Oh great! So now he had murderous friends! __"Well thank you for your help, but I have to go ummm... lie down," According to the clock, it __was only four in the afternoon._

_"My pleasure Kaine, call anytime you want," with that, he hung up._

_I walked past the sunroom with the curious faces within and followed my week-old scent upstairs __to the room I'd woken up in. The one with blue walls and white trim._

_I guess my brain was too overloaded to notice the smell of another werewolf hung thickly in the __air, or the fact that the walls were a darker blue than before._

_I crawled under the covers, not proccessing my discoveries, and went to sleep._

* * *

I woke in a cold sweat, not quiet knowing why.

What I did know was that Logan was looming over me with what I'm most positive was a grin on

his beautiful face.

I rubbed my eyes; yup, still there. "What are you doing?" I demanded, I hate getting woken up! I looked at the clock, and found it was only 10:45, I had only slept six and a half hours of Change free sleep. I hadn't realized how exhausted I was until my head hit the pillow.

Hang on, that clock wasn't in the room I had first woken up in. Niether was the maple nightstand it sat on.

Logan only confirmed my fears, "I was planning on going to my bed actually. By myself." He clarified, and his grin got wider until he checked himself and locked down again. "The room you were looking for is the next one on the left.

I jumped out from his bed, glaring and blushing at the same time. Then I ran out of his room into the one I was temporarily assigned.

I shot right under the covers again, tyring to think about anything other than the humiliating momment I had just endured.

Finally, after I was sure my cheeks were the right shade, I drifted off to sleep once again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

I awoke with a single thought: shower.

I felt horribly nasty; I hadn't felt a drop of water since a little over a week and man could you tell!

With that thought, I searched for my duffel bag- I found it under the bed- grabbed a pair of jeans, a grey hoodie, bra, cammie, and a pair of underwear and went into the bathroom I faintly remembered using a while ago. It was really early- my internal clock was incredibly screwed up- so I kinda felt bad about using the shower and waking everybody up. Though I'm sure my stench would have soon anyway.

I did try to be quiet though, as I cranked the cold water and hoped into the shower after stripping to my skin.

I can honestly say that I'm probably one of the only people on earth who would choose a cold shower over hot every time. It's just so refreshing and really gets you up and going. And I don't mean just after a hot summer day, it's the end of September and I didn't even turn a drip of the hot water on.

I scrubbed my dirty skin so hard I thought I was flaying myself. And my hair was so greasy I used half a bottle of shampoo.

Note to self; buy the Danvers' more shampoo.

Finaly, I felt human again- realativly speaking. So I hopped out, dried off, and brushed my hair. Afterwards I went back to the room I was borrowing and threw my clothes at the foot of the bed.

I didn't think anyone would be up yet, but I was too antsy to sit in my room any longer.

Before I registered the fact that my feet were moving, I was in the kitchen.

What can I say? My stomach has a mind of it's own.

I searched the cabinets, pantry, and fridge and gathered enough pancake mix, bacon, sausage, eggs, and toast to make what I assumed was enough food to presumably feed eleven werewolves.

Then I tried to cook it.

Now I consider myself a pretty good cook, but I soon realized I was out of my element making this much food.

I am proud to say though, that twenty minutes a few close calls with the fire alarm and four heroic dives later, I had everything made. Without any spillage, breakage, or burnage. Although there was a fair amount of noise pollution.

Pretty nice timming too, because just as I laoded everything on plates and was figuring out how not to fall on my face with the food, the other various house members began pouring into the kitchen. Probably to see what was making so much noise.

Nick was the first one to see me, "For God's sake! It's only 7:00!" He yawned.

"Sorry, my internal clock is all screwed up. I was trying to help out a little," I really did feel bad that I was imposing on them, but until the month was over, I had no choice, "I can warm it up later if you guys don't want it now."

By now, all of them were in the kitchen or surrounding area. I noticed Karl, Antonio, and Morgan (I had finaly remembered his name) weren't there; they must have left sometime last night.

Surprisingly, Clayton spoke up, "Is it burnt?" I shook my head no, "Poisoned?" Startled that he would ask, I shook my head no again. "Then I'll eat, I'm starved."

Seemingly, everyone took that as a sign to grab a plate and head to the sun room table. As I watched, I thought about Clayton's poison question. Was that something of a regular occurance around here? I was second guessing my non-choice of staying here. If that had happened a lot, I didn't really want to get mixed-up in that shit.

But, I had a feeling that too would soon be added to my list of non-choices I hadn't made lately.

Just like I han't chosen to be a fucked up werewolf experime- Damn it! I had managed all morning without thinking about that! Why now?

I really tried to banish all those thoughts out of my mind as I grabbed the last plate and walked into the sun room. I threw myself a little mental 'Congrats Party' (complete with music and streamers) as various Pack members praised my cooking.

Then Elena filled me in on the after-breakfast run, "We were planning on going on the Pack run that was postponed," Most of the Pack mock glared at me and Logan, "You're more than welcome to join us."

I thought about it, but decided against it. I would _never _say it out loud, and I barely admitted t to myself, but I was sorta afraid of voluntarily subjecting myself to the pain of Changing. That, and I needed some alone time; which I hadn't gotten in a while.

"Thanks, but I'll just stay here. Maybe call my parents to check in from Europe?" Honestly, I was going to find a way to call them regardless of her answer.

Elena hesitated before replying, "You can call them, but I trust you enough not to tell them anything. Speaking of your parents, we need to talk about what we're going to do about our secret. We'll discuss it after the run."

I nodded my head and everyone went back to eating. I was extremely happy to see I had made just enough food; good thing those other three had already left.

About forty-five minutes later everyone had left for the run, except me and Jeremy. I had found him in the den reading a newspaper when I went to call my parents.

"Oh, sorry, I was just going to make my call," I said as I noticed him.

"I know," he replied. There was an awkward silence before he set aside the paper and looked up at me, "How are you?"

I opened my mouth to give him a generic 'good', but then I stopped to think. How was I really?

Well, I was ticked off at that scientist and not having any choice in anything anymore.

I was sad because it was like I was finally mourning my parents.

I was curious to know what was going to happen next.

Scared because I really couldn't possibly guess at what was to come.

But then I was also confused because I didn't know anymore what was truth, lie, or embelished.

Oddly enough though, I was happy because I finally did know; I knew who I was and where I belonged.

And then of course, I was frusrated. At the world, my life, stupid scientists/mutts, and at Logan- who hated me for being me.

Yeah, you could say that one of my greatest fears is not knowing.

I had just decided to stick with the 'good' when I looked at Jeremy, who looked slightly amused.

Then I realized why: I had spoken aloud everything that I had just thought.

I blushed, then blushed for blushing in the first place, sat down in the armchair opposite him, and madly wished for the words to come rushing back into my head and stay there.

"That's understandable. I also wanted you to know the warning signs that you need to Change. You'll get restless, itchy, your muscles will twitch, and it's been more than a week since your last Change. You should Change at least once a week." Then Jeremy stood up and walked out the door with the newspaper tucked under his arm.

I looked at the door Jeremy had just exited. I had just told him every single one of the feelings flying through my head and he didn't say a word.

In about a second I knew why; he wanted to bring them to my attention so _I _could analyze them. He wouldn't say a word about it.

Jeremy was a clever man.

But I didn't have time to think about my emotions though, the Pack was probably finishing up now and I still had to make my call.

I dialed the newly memorized house number and briefly wondered what day it was and rather or not my parents were at work.

It must have been a Saturday or Sunday because in three rings my mom picked up, "Hello?"

It was so good to hear her voice, "Hi mom."

"Honey? Where are you?" She sounded suspicious.

"In Spain," I was confused, she was supposed to know I was in Europe.

"The area code on the phone is from around here," she clarified.

Oh damnit! I forgot to star69 the number!

So I lied to her, "I'm on my friend's cell," It was an awful lie, but I managed to catch her attention with the magic word _friend_. She knew I had trouble making them, and for that matter keeping them, so she jumped on any chance to talk about them.

"Friend!" She cried, "Oh, good for you! What's her name?"

Told you, "Kat."

"Oh, that's great Kaine! So how are you doing?" She got quiet, "I mean, after finding out about being adopted," My poor mother had no clue just how bad it really was. Good.

"I'm okay, and I'm sorry this trip was so sudden," I was hoping to steer away from the topic before I had to lie some more.

"That's okay, I hope you're having fun!" She sounded kind of jealous actually.

"I definitely am!" Okay, so that was a bit of a lie too. "I gotta go though, we're getting ready for dinner." I had to quickly do some time changes.

"Dinner?" She asked me.

"We are five hours ahead."

"Oh, okay then."

"Tell Willy and Dad I said I miss them and that I love them," I requested, trying to wrap things up because I heard the Pack start to trickle into the house.

"I will. I love you Kaine, bye," she ended.

"Love you too, bye," I hung up.

As soon as I did, I heard footsteps coming closer; Elena, Jeremy, Clayton, and Kat came in. The three who went on the run had a wild gleam in their eyes.

Elena told me, "Everyone left besides us four and Logan."

"Where does everyone live?" I asked curiously.

"We live here; Antonio, Nick, Reese, and Noah live on the Sorrentino estate; Morgan has his own place in New York; and Karl has territory in Pennsylvania," Kat supplied eagerly. I could tell she wanted me to become a full member of the supernatural community, and quickly.

"Territory?" I remembered Logan bringing that up when we first met.

Kat, again, filled me in while some unspoken signal told everyone to sit down, "Only Pack can have territory. We hold New York, so not one mutt is allowed to live here. Karl has P.A. because that's where Hope lives. It's like a safety procaution. If mutts lived close to us and started to terrorize the population then humans would be alerted and then we'd be exposed."

I saw way too many faults to that logic, "So no mutt can stay in one spot? They're continuesly uprooted whenever you decide to clear the area? How is that fair?" I demanded.

Kat looked uncomfortable, "Kaine, they _eat _people."

"I'm sure not all of them do! And what if they have families?" Do these people not think?

"They don't," Clayton deadpanned.

"Apparently they do! My parents had me, you have your family, who's to say others don't? What makes you so different from them?" My argument had turned from Kat to Clayton.

Clayton looked furious and growled at me, "You haven't seen what mutts are capable of!"

I snorted, "In case you haven't noticed, you. Are. All. The. Same. Species." I was really trying to calm my temper, "Which means, that you are capable of what they are, and that they are capable of being like you!" Okay, maybe I wasn't succeeding in the temper department.

Clayton glared at me fiercely, but said nothing.

Elena glanced between me and Clayton, "Well Clay," she started, a slow grin settling across her face, "We're gonna need to keep this girl around, if only to deflate that big ego of yours sometimes."

I couldn't help but smile as I watched Clayton try to growl at Elena, then give up and kiss her on the mouth.

"Well anyway Kaine, we came to find you so we could talk about your parents," Kat explained, clearly embarrassed (and probably disgusted) by her parents actions, "Both sets of parents."

"Okay," I said slowly and wiggled myself further into the couch.

"First of all, we'd like to know what information Roman supplied to you," Jeremy requested.

"Why?" I really didn't want to relive that conversation again.

"So we can understand what is different about you," Elena answered.

I already knew why I was different, but I saw no choice but to tell them, so I related the phone call to them. When I finally finished and looked down from the ceiling tile I had been staring at, I noticed that Logan was now in the room too. Him and Jeremy were stony faced, Kat's jaw hung loose, Clayton's expression was calculating, and Elena looked disgusted.

"Oh, Kaine..." Kat and Elena whispered together.

After a seconds pause, I was way too eager to change the topic, "So what am I allowed to tell my parents?" Truthfully, I wasn't sure what I _wanted _to tell them.

Elena considered the question, traded a glance with Jeremy and answered me, "Do you think if we told them the truth they could be trusted?" She asked slowly.

I didn't even hesitate, "Yes," They had, afterall, kept my true lineage a secret from me for seventeen and a half years.

Elena nodded as if she expected the answer to be yes, "Then if you can go today without loosing control, we'll talk to them tomarrow." She stood up and said, "Now, you think you could teach me how to cook like you did this morning?"

She grinned evily.

Great.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Mornings suck.

Especially mornings when certain werewolves whose name begins with 'K' and ends with 'at' feel the need to get you up at seven a.m. so you can shower and eat because, I quote, "You still smell and you'll be hungry in five minutes if you don't eat."

Geez, thanks.

So I rolled out of bed, grabbed jeans, underwear, and a hoodie, and headed to the shower. Oh how I wish I didn't have to change out of my oh-so-comfy owl pj pants!

After my cold shower, I went downstairs and met everyone else in the den.

"When are we leaving?" I asked nervously, still unsure of what I really even _wanted_ to tell my parents.

Elena stood up from where she was nestled on the couch with Clayton, "Right now. We'll stop at a drive-in and get breakfast and then we'll head to your house. Are you sure your parents are home?"

"They should be, it's a Sunday. They're probably unpacking," At least, I hoped they were, I was getting incredibly ticked at the stacks upon stacks of boxes everywhere in my house.

"Okay then, lets roll," Kat grinned.

We had to take two vehicles, and somehow, it was decided that I was riding with Logan.

Yay! I get to ride with the bipolar werewolf!

I reined in my dread and muttered, "Sweet ride," as a peace offering.

Logan didn't respond, though I know he heard me. I inquired about the whereabouts of my own truck. Logan told me it was at my house in the driveway.

That was the only thing we said for twenty minutes. It was incredibly awkward.

"Look," he said suddenly, "I'm sorry for how I've been acting."

I gasped and he swerved.

"What?" He demanded, panicked.

"It has manners!" I breathed in mock astonishment.

He glared at me for a few seconds, then his face... Dare I say it? Softened.

Oh god, his eyes were so incredibly blue. They had these thin little silverish rings right around the pupil that had a dizzying effect on any sane person.

I broke eye contact first, "Hey, eyes on the road." _Not on me._

Another silence descended for roughly ten minutes until we pulled into the fast-food drive-through.

"What do you want?" Logan asked me as Jeremy, Elena, Clayton, and Kat in the car in front of us ordered.

"Shit, I don't have any money on me," It was all at my house.

"That's okay, I was gonna pay anyway. If you feel the need, you can pay me back later," at least he understood the matter of pride.

"As soon as I get to my house," I promised, "Uhh... I'll have two breakfast sandwiches and an order of hash browns, please."

"That all?" Logan clearly knew I was lying.

"Yeah, I'm not that hungry," Actually, I was just being considerate and didn't want him to use all his money. Truth is, I could have eaten half the menu.

It was our turn, so Logan pulled the car up and asked the lady who was taking our order for ten sandwiches, ten hash browns, and six juices.

He paid and handed me half of everything despite my protests (that weren't even convincing _me_ that I didn't want to eat those).

"Oh, shut up will you and just eat the damn things!" He smiled at me to show he was only kidding.

"Well then," I huffed, and took a very unlady like bite of my sandwich.

We pulled out of the parking lot before the others so that I could give directions to Logan and Clayton (driving the other car) would follow.

"You know, it would be a lot easier if I just drove," I really wanted to drive this car, if only for bragging rights. I know just about squat about cars, but according to William, this is a _really_ good car.

"No," apparently, he still didn't like me that much.

As we silently neared my house- the silence only broken by my occasional direction giving -my stomach started to twist into knots. Suddenly, all that food I'd consumed didn't seem like such a good idea.

What if my parents didn't love me anymore?

What if they never wanted to see me again?

What if they told our secret?

These were all completely rational fears; I had a right to have them. At least, that's what I told myself.

_This is stupid, if they can't love me -hair, claws, fangs in all- then they never did._

Before it seemed possible, we had pulled up to my little house on Whitewood Drive.

"It will take a little while for them to catch up," Logan grinned. Shit, I was getting more emotion out of him in three hours than I had in two and a half weeks.

"Why?" I asked warily, I hadn't even noticed they weren't in the rearview mirror.

"Because," He answered, "You were 2.4 seconds away from opening that door and chickening out, so I decided to run a couple red lights to get here before you jumped out of a moving vehicle and proceeded to get run over by my dad."

Huh, "Well, that was... Uhh... Nice of you," Damn, I was getting caught up in those eyes again.

Finally, I heard the sound of gravel crunching under tires as the rest of the Pack pulled in the driveway.

Wasting no time, I stepped out from Logan's car and headed up the sidewalk, eager to be done with the task at hand.

I rang the doorbell, acting like a stranger at my own house. No one answered.

I lifted my hand to knock when dad's frowning face appeared in the one of the narrow windows on either side of the door. Upon seeing me surrounded by a bunch of strangers, his frown deepened. His face disappeared for a moment before reappearing in the now open doorway.

"Kaine?" He was definitely surprised to see me.

"Hey dad," I replied sheepishly, "We have some stuff to talk about," Well if that wasn't an understatement, I don't know what the hell is. "Can we come in?"

For a moment my father just stood there dumbstruck, then my words started to sink in and he stepped aside. I led the procession of werewolves through the little foyer that led to the medium sized beige-painted living room.

"Keith, who's-," Mom poked her head out from the kitchen, "Kaine! What are you doing here? Who are they?" She gestured to the Pack, all of whom remained standing except for Kat. She sat perched on the edge of the tan sectional sofa. She was kind of blocked by how everyone else was standing.

"Hi mom, I'll explain everything as soon as I introduce everyo-."

Willy cut me off, "Mom? Dad? Whose super sweet car…" Willy rounded the corner to see the living room full of strangers, "is parked outside...," He finished, slightly trailing off.

"That would be Logan's," I answered, relishing the confusion and envy on his face as he guessed that I had gotten to ride in it.

Then a curious expression over-took his face, "Are you still going to live here?"

Now _I_ was confused, "Yeah, why wouldn't I?" At least, for now I am, though at the end of this conversation I might not be.

"Well I wasn't sure since, you know, you're adopted," God, you'd think at the age of thirteen the kid could be a little more tactful. Then again, I had to appreciate his bluntness.

My mom on the other hand, not so much, "William Brian Arden! Go to you're room! NOW!"

I really couldn't help but smirk at Willy's retreating figure. I mean, the whole sibling rivalry _definitely_ applied in this house.

When I was sure I heard Willy's door close and his music turn on, I continued, "Anyway, introductions first," I took a deep breath- after being with the Pack for so long, I couldn't help but notice how… plain my parents smelled-"That's Logan, Kat, Clayton, Jeremy, and Elena," I pointed to everyone in turn for my parents benefit. I turned to the Pack, "You already know, but that's my mom Donna, and my dad Keith."

"Kaine, what's going on? I thought you were in Europe."

"Well, umm, you see," This wasn't getting me anywhere, so I just dove into the story headfirst, "Okay, well, the Sunday before school started when I went to that flea market I met Logan..." After I started, it all just spewed out; everything from the horrible pain of Changing to my phone call with Roman Novikov. I left out only the smallest details. I figured, what the hell, if I'm going to tell them the big kahoona (my wolfyness in case you couldn't guess) I might as well not spare anything else.

Their facial expressions during all would have been quiet entertaining in any other circumstance. When I told them about what I actually was, their faces turned ghostly pale and their eyes were more than just disbelieving. My heart sank into my stomach when I saw fear in my mom's eyes. If they feared me, then all _my _rational fears would come true, but I couldn't worry about that right now, I just had to keep pushing onward through the story and maybe change their mind.

By the time I got to the part of the conversation with Roman when he detailed the torture inflicted upon my mother, my parents had both returned to their natural skin tone. However, their eyes shone with hate at that mutt, specifically that he escaped.

Finally, I finished, ending right when I rang the doorbell of our house.

For a while no one spoke, or really even moved. By now everyone had found a seat somewhere, and I and the Pack perched at the edge of ours, staring blankly at my overloaded parents, waiting for their reaction.

I was .2 seconds away from having an anxiety attack when my dad finally spoke up.

"So," he collected his thoughts, "Let me recap here; you're a werewolf," he glanced around the Pack, "You all are, even you're real parents were. At one point you and your real mother were experimented on in Europe. And that you lied and said you were on another continent, when really you were ten miles away learning to control your, umm, powers," He looked an interesting shade of green.

"Actually," I pointed to Elena, "She lied to you. I just went along with it. Not that I was given much of a choice," Mom let out a very strained, nervous laugh.

We lapsed into an almost unbearable silence for what seemed like hours before Logan's head snapped up in my peripheral vision. He leaped up and on scary silent feet ran to the doorway leading to the kitchen, ignoring our curious gazes.

A short yip accompanied a startled Willy who was deposited in the middle of the room by Logan who so effortlessly carried him in.

Logan looked annoyed, "He was eavesdropping around the corner."

"William, what did I tell you about that?" My mom said distractedly, like she was still deep in thought, but knew that a parental rebuke was in order.

William was too busy staring to notice her though.

And the focus of that wide-eyed stare?

Katherine Danvers.

Kat poked me in the ribs, "Your brother's staring at me weird."

I sighed a big sister sigh, "He thinks you're hot." Was that the only thing boys thought of when they saw a girl?

Probably.

"Ah, of course," She leaned over her mom and dad and grabbed someone's glass of water. With a quick twist of her wrist, she launched the contents of the glass on Willy.

Everyone but William at least smiled as he jumped up and shook his dark blonde hair free of water.

Then it got serious again, "How much did you hear?" Elena spoke for the first time.

Everyone's eyes trained on Willy, "All of it," he murmured, staring me straight in my green eyes. His hazel ones were so accusing.

I looked down at my feet, only now noticing that my socks didn't match, "I'm sorry," I apologized to my family.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and gazed up into the brown eyes of my dad.

"Kaine, what are you apologizing for? You didn't know any of this yourself until a little while ago. I, we, understand that."

I felt a surge of gratitude towards my family for being there, but that just brought up the next question, "What's going to happen now?" I directed my question to Elena.

She turned towards my parents and my brother- who was standing behind our parents and stealing glances at Kat-, "You have to understand that you three are part of only a handful of humans who know about the supernatural community, and that's how it has to stay. You can't tell anyone, under any circumstance, at any time about _any_ of this. No one," She somehow managed to stare at all three of them at once.

"With that being said," She continued, "We need to ask you-Donna and Keith- some questions so we can fully grasp the situation, then we'll discuss what happens next." Elena gestured to Kat, Logan, Willy and I simultaneously and said, "You can leave, it's just boring conversations from here," She smiled half-heartedly, like she wished she could leave too.

Willy was off in a flash and the slam of his door echoed through the nearly unpacked house.

As much as I wanted to stay and listen to the questions that were most definitely being asked about me, I leapt off the couch and left Kat and Logan to find there own entertainment like the horrible hostess I am.

I walked back to William's room at a quick pace and knocked on his door. Not waiting for an answer, I barged in. Willy sat on a bean bag chair playing his PSP; he didn't look up, not even when I tugged at his arm.

"Come on," I begged, "Let's go for a walk, I want to talk to you."

"Fine," He said gruffly, "Talk."

"Not that I don't trust them, but unless you want everyone out there but mom and dad to hear us, we'll go for a walk," I told him truthfully.

Without saying a word, he flipped off his PSP, got up, and led the way to the back door located in the kitchen. We slipped on our shoes and I yelled out to mom and dad, "Me and Willy are going for a walk, be back soon!"

We didn't really talk for the first five minutes or so of aimlessly following the sidewalks. I've always been good with silence, so has Willy. It's probably one of the few things we have in common.

I just calmly strolled along. The houses on out street were mainly two-stories of plain tan siding. One house that stood out was a three-story lime green house. I could smell the fresh paint in the air. I've always wanted to paint my room that exact green with blue stripes.

The trees were bare, though it wasn't winter yet, maybe in a couple of weeks we'd see snow. I wasn't a huge fan of the white stuff, but I couldn't imagine living in a place without it. My birthday, November 22, had been the first day of snow fall in my old town since the day I was born. I always thought it was weird, but never questioned it. Now I was questioning all sorts of stuff. I think I had a pretty good right to too, after all that I've discovered.

"So it's true?" Willy asked abruptly.

"What? Me being adopted, or me being a werewolf?" I said sarcastically, "Yes, both are true."

"You know that's not possible, right?" For William being a thirteen year old boy, he was oddly, scarily logical. He detested the dragon and wizard games. Ironically, in our family, I was the supernatural junkie. Funny, I never even had proof that stuff was real until recently.

I sighed, "I told you they were real," I responded drily.

"Ha-ha. I don't believe you, you know that."

I thought for a moment on how best to approach this, and then I figured I would simply appeal to his logical side. "What would I have to gain by lying? How would I know that you had bacon and waffles with blueberry syrup for breakfast?" I could smell it on his breath. "Or that there's a dog right over there behind that white fence?" I smelled him on the wind and heard his paws thumping on the ground.

"There's no dog ov-" He started to contradict me but cut off as a big yellow Labrador retriever poked his over-sized head out and started to bark at us. I looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"How'd you know?" He looked deflated.

I almost laughed at his expression, "I heard and smelled him."

"So what, you're some freaky, genetically altered, super werewolf? I don't know rather to be scared or jealous," he admitted.

"Definitely not jealous," I grimaced, "I mean I sprout four inch long hair all over my body for god's sake. And you wouldn't believe how painful it is."

Willy laughed, "So do you change into one of those Hollywood half man half beast things?"

At least he accepted the truth. Now for the inane questions, "No, I Change into a regular looking wolf."

He opened his mouth to ask another question when a hand tapped my shoulder. I jumped and spun around, already crouching in a karate stance before my mind registered the fact that Logan was the one who had snuck up on us.

"Geez Arden, I just came to report that the verdict's in," Logan smirked.

I was so very tempted to wipe that insolent grin clean off his face. Instead I politely introduced them, "Willy, Logan. Logan, William."

They studied each other briefly, then Logan turned to me and said, "We'd better get going, they're probably waiting." He paused, "You know you're mom is a horrible cook; nothing like you."

Oh God, "She tried to cook for you? She could have killed you!" I said, being totally serious.

Willy put in his two-sense, "You have to build up an immune system to the stuff she makes."

"Don't worry, we didn't eat a bite, we're all masters of the art of hiding food. After all, we have to live with Jeremy. No matter how old that man gets, he'll never be able to do more than boil water," Logan chuckled at some distant memory.

We soon came within sight of my house, even though it was still a half a mile away. "I'll race you all! 1, 2, 3, GO!"

I shot ahead, and glanced around to make sure no one was around to witness the superhuman pace I could go, before I really kicked it up.

It felt so amazingly good to move my muscles; it had been so long since I've really gotten any exercise.

As the house neared, I was broken from my blissful state when Logan tapped my arm.

"You know," Logan wasn't even breathing hard, "This isn't fair. One, you're racing your human brother." I glanced back, and sure enough, Willy wasn't even close to us, "Two," Logan continued, "You got a head start. And three, you have more strength and speed than any other werewolf has." Logan paused, "But I'm still gonna beat you," he stated smugly.

"Really?" I didn't believe him at all. I wasn't even sweating, and I felt like I had a full store of extra energy.

"Yes."

"And how might you accomplish that?"

He turned to me, smiled, and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, he stumbled over a loose sidewalk slab and did a couple of summersaults. He landed on his back and the air whooshed out of his lungs.

I slammed on my proverbial brakes and trotted back to help him (or maybe just laugh). I really couldn't help it though as he fixed me with a _You say _anything_ and I'll kill you_ glare.

"Are you," Chuckle, "Okay?" Laugh.

Logan growled at me, then lightning quick he reached out, grabbed my foot, pulled and on my butt I went.

"Ouch!" I was more startled then hurt, "Well that was just uncalled for!" I fake pouted, and Logan's mouth twitched up in sight of my expression. Then he started laughing, and within seconds, I was too. Logan just has one of those infectious laughs. By the time Willy caught up, we were laughing uncontrollably and rolling around on the rough cement.

William was breathing short, shallow breaths and studying us like the little scientist he was. "Aren't werewolves supposed to have like, a lot of grace or something?"

I looked up at him through tear filled eyes and I forced myself to calm down a little bit, "I don't know. I'm just as new to this werewolf situation as you are. Ask Logan."

But Logan was currently doubled over laughing as hard as I was. I really don't know what was so funny about the situation. I know the only reason I laughed was because I had to let all the emotion out of my system someway, and it was either laugh, cry, fight, or all of the above.

Logan gasped for breath, "Under normal circumstances,, yes, I do believe we could be called graceful. I think we should get inside now."

I knew he was right, and stood up accordingly. I reached down a hand to help him up. He looked up at me with a peculiar (yes I just used the word peculiar) look, and then grabbed my hand. It was warm and slightly callused.

"No more racing?" I asked, and both boys nodded.

We were in front of the house next door so it only took us ten seconds to get back on our property and walk in through the kitchen door. When we walked in we took off our shoes and continued into the living room. All the werewolves sat on the sectional sofa, my dad sat on the recliner, and my mom sat on the wooden rocking chair in the corner with a very strained smile on her face.

"Sorry we're late, Logan fell," Willy informed the others.

"Logan? Fall? Wow Kaine, what did you do to him?" Kat looked worried and amused all at once.

"Nothing, nothing at all. So what's going on?"

"We talked to your parents, just asked them basic questions about your childhood and your real parents. You never had blood tests, which is amazing really, especially since they had no knowledge of what you really are. Which means there are no loose ends we have to," Elena paused and looked me in the eye. I suddenly remembered the conversation I shared with them about killing mutts and I felt queasy when she finished, "Tie up."

"So what does that mean?" I was getting apprehensive.

"While we aren't too fond of the idea of letting you go this early in your Changes, I think it would be safe to let you stay here. And if anything goes wrong, we only live twenty minutes away. Six when we drive."

Hope swelled inside me when I realized what she was saying. Despite all of Reece's assurances that the Pack was nice, and wouldn't make me do things I didn't want to, I wasn't sure that the Pack would ever let me see my parents. Much less live with them again.

But there was another barrier. I looked at my mom and dad and brother, "Would you let me stay?"

My dad looked shocked, "Of course!" He said outraged that I would think anything else, "Why wouldn't we? We love you. No matter what you are, you're still our daughter." He looked real serious, like he was trying to drill that mentality into my head.

I loved my dad so much. Secretly, I loved him more than my mom, but I would never want to hurt her enough to tell that to her face. I don't know why I felt that way, but I did, and I couldn't help but to leap up and give my dad a bone crushing hug.

"Sweetie, that hurts," He mumbled. "And besides, we couldn't let you leave; we just found that new gym for you."

"Oh right! I forgot about that! When does it start? I have to get my uniform out! Oooo, I can't wait!" God do I love martial arts.

"It starts a week from Tuesday," Dad answered.

"Gym?" Jeremy inquired.

"I practice martial arts, specifically Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Jujitsu," I explained, but then I noticed all the Pack's faces were blank, "What? What's wrong?"

"Have you always done that?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes, I love it. I'm a third degree black belt in Karate, red belt in Tae Kwon Do, and a blue belt in Jujitsu." Again, I noticed the Pack's expression (or lack thereof), "Why, What's the problem?"

The Pack wouldn't look me in the eye. Finally, Clayton, the less sensitive member of the group, spoke up, "Kaine, you can really hurt someone now that you have your Changes. I'm surprised it didn't happen already. I don't think- I know that it wouldn't be wise to continue with your training. At least until we are all absolutely sure that you can control your strength."

God damnit! Why the hell does it seem that every time I'm even close to finally being happy, something or someone comes along and fucks it all up?

"I am not giving it up! It's the one stable thing in my life!" I wasn't even trying to reign in my temper.

"I'm sorry Kaine, but you don't have much of a choice at the moment," Elena informs me oh-so-helpfully.

"Look, classes don't start until next Tuesday, what if I learn to control my Changes and everything until it meets your freaking standards?"

Elena and Logan laugh softly, "That'd be a start," Elena says_._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

It was decided that I would go back to school on Monday and go to the Danvers' every night after school to work on my 'training'. Afterwards I would be free to go home.

It was an okay compromise, and the only one everyone agreed on.

Finally, everyone left and my family dispersed. My mom disappeared to somewhere. If I wanted to, I could have found her, but I figured she needed some time to comprehend the fact that her only daughter was a werewolf.

Dad didn't quite know what to do. He kind of just shuffled around the house, not really knowing where to go or what to say. Eventually, he settled in the recliner with a random book off the little bookcase in the corner. He flipped to a page and stared at it. I didn't even think he read the thing. Why? Because the copy of _Casseroles and Stews: a Dietary Cookbook_ was upside down.

Good old Dad.

William was acting completely normal, like none of this had happened whatsoever. This was his way of coping. He sat sprawled on the couch doing his last minute science homework. He always got more homework than any other kid, just like I did. Mom and Dad say we're just too smart for our own good. Apparently, the teachers think so too. Willy and I always correct them for the slightest informational, grammatical, or spelling mistake they make. We don't do it to be a smart ass or to flaunt our knowledge, but I know that I at least hate it when people are misinformed. Either way, this makes them either hate us or love us, depending on their level of uptightedness. But usually it's the former.

And me? I mumbled a quick goodnight and headed for bed. It was only 9:00 but I was still trying to catch-up on my sleep.

I opened the door to my familiar room. When we moved in about a month ago, unpacking my room was the first thing I did.

My room wasn't that big- about 15 by 12 feet- but I made the most of what space there was. My twin sized bed was fitted snugly into the left back corner, and my night stand sat next to it. On that sat my iHome, stack of books, and a pineapple lamp with a stripped lampshade. A bookcase covered half of the right wall, and a little dresser stood next to the door. My medium sized closet protruded into the room on the other side of the door.

My walls were painted off-white by whoever had lived here before us. Hanging about a foot from the ceiling were 6 strings of differently styled lanterns that crisscrossed around the room. A stereo, bulletin board, CD rack, two shelves, and four posters adorned the walls. There was also an antique looking world map and a collection of varying quotes plastered on the walls.

Overall, my room felt more like home than anywhere else, it represented me absolutely.

I wasted no time changing for bed- I was sad to discover that I had left my good pajamas at the Danvers'. I crawled under the blue comforter on my bed and fell instantly to sleep.

XxXxXxXxX

William threw open the door and started yelling at me about sleeping in and not setting my alarm clock or something. All I know for sure is that I chucked a pillow at him so hard he fell down on his ass. Willy grunted and scrambled back up and then threw the pillow back at me. And just to be the evil little imp I know him to be, on his way out he flipped on the overhead light.

Unfortunately, the light switch was on the other side of the room, so I decided to get up. Swearing I would get a Clapper so I could turn the light off from the bed on mornings like these, I ran through my morning routine, knowing I'd be late if I didn't.

As I ran out to the driveway, I prayed I had enough gas in the tank to get me to school and to Kat and Logan's place later. I checked the gage and knew I had enough to get me at least to school, so I went with it.

My radio was just barely audible over the sleet and hail that appeared out of nowhere as I pulled out onto the main road. I didn't slow down or anything though. I mean, it wasn't my first time driving in the elements; I've lived in Northern Ohio for the last seventeen years of my life for god's sake.

Still, something felt wrong, and by the time I pulled into the school parking lot, I was as tense as a board. A huge rush of breath left my body as I turned the Colorado off.

I got out of the truck and slung my messenger bag over my head, all the while trying to ignore the sleet and the prickly feeling between my shoulder blades.

It was the unmistakable feeling of being watched.

As I turned around to walk briskly into the school, a firm hand clasped my shoulder. Reacting blindly (I was sure this was my watcher), I lashed out with the heel of my palm and slammed it into my attacker's solar plexus. I made sure I hit them just short of breaking their pelvis.

It was only then that I noticed who I was attacking. Miss Pinkerton.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I thought you were someone else! Oh my god," Jesus Christ, why the hell did I just do that?

Miss Pinkerton moaned from her position on the ground, I squatted down to her general level.

"Did I break anything? What can I do? I'm SOOO Sorry!"

She gasped, "It's not broke," Gasp, "What was that for anyway?" She was starting to calm down and move without crying out.

"I'm sorry, I thought I was being watched, then you came up behind me and I thought you were the one watching me, and I just reacted because I didn't know it was you since you were downwind, and I'm just so sorry!" I assaulted a teacher, that's bad. Very.

"Kaine, help me up and quite your rambling!"

I did as I was told and helped Miss Pinkerton up. Once on her feet, she stayed doubled over and coughed a bit. When she finally straightened up, she said, "You do martial arts don't you? And you're a werewolf. God help us all if you start attacking any more people!" She tried to smile, but all that showed was a grimace.

I felt the eyes again, staring at the back of my head the logical guess was that they were coming from the forest, which was too far away for anyone to get to me without me noticing. But I wasn't taking chances, "Miss Pinkerton? Can we go inside now? It's still sleeting and I feel watched again."

"Of course, _always _trust a werewolf's instincts," She muttered.

We were completely soaked, but I paid no mind to it and instead focused on getting her into the dry office where she could rest.

By the time we hobbled (she did, not me) across the parking lot and into the hallway outside the main office the bell had rung and everyone was in first period.

Miss Pinkerton directed me into the office. When we entered, the two secretaries and the vice principal- the one who had given Logan, Kat, and I our detentions- crowded around us and bustled my culture and languages teacher into the nurse's office. Then the vice principal came back out to see me standing there.

"Miss Arden, why weren't you in school for two weeks? Or detention?" She still had that no nonsense or I'll strangle you and have fun doing it voice.

I had already gone over the answer to this question with everyone last night. "I had that really bad stomach bug that's been going around town for awhile. I have a doctor's note," I dug around in my bag until I found the note that Jeremy had forged for me. I handed it to her, and she inspected it like it might hold the key to eternal life.

"Very well," She said snidely, and started to walk off.

"Excuse me," I was seriously getting fed up with this woman.

"Yes?" She sweetly snarled. Yes, it's possible.

"I need a late pass."

"Humph," She whipped out a notepad and scribbled on it, then handed me the top piece of paper.

"Thank you, ma'am."

She just walked away, leaving me to stare at the invisible stick wedged up her ass.

Before I got in any more trouble, I strided out of the office and to my first period history class. On my way I stopped at my locker and grabbed my stuff. I smelled Logan and Kat around it, they had probably been wondering where I was.

First period passed in relative peace and quiet, as did Literature and my only study hall. Although I did learn that Logan's locker was next to mine. I can't say I was too happy about that.

When gym came around, I was just starting to forget about the watchful eyes from this morning. I was also starting to forget about the supernatural aspect of my life. Then Kat trotted out of the locker room and jogged over to me.

"Hey," She greeted me.

"Hi, I didn't know you were in this class. You weren't here that Monday."

"I wasn't in this class until this morning. I asked the office to switch my gym period; I figured you'd need some help in controlling your strength and such."

"Oh, okay, thanks. I don't even know why I have to take this class," I hated school physical education, it was so boring and basic, and not fun.

Kat shrugged, "It's required."

The coach blew his whistle and our class of only girls crowded around him on the three point line. We were going to go to the weight room today. Goodie. I get to pretend that I'm a wimpy girl. I sighed.

Kat looked over at me and smiled, "It's not that bad pretending. You can still be the strongest in the class, just not outrageously so. Although I doubt you'll beat me," Kat finished smugly.

I snorted and told her I'd take that bet, and then we followed coach out through the gymnasium doors and across the hall to the weight room.

"Get in groups of two for spotting," Coach Dolton bellowed unnecessarily at us.

Of course Kat was my partner. Just as I was lying down to do bench presses, I felt the creepy eyes again. And this time, I caught a whiff of some scent that stuck out like a sore thumb. I sat up right and nearly knocked my head of the weight holder thing above me. I exhaled and on my inhale the door that led outside burst open. Right before I could get a scent too.

I turned away from the door, not even looking to see who it was. "Kat!" Her head whipped around from the locker she was getting towels from, "Did you smell that?"

"Smell what?" Logan said behind me.

I jumped off the bench and this time I did hit my head on the bar, "Damnit!" I rubbed the back of my head, "Would you _please_ stop sneaking up on me like that?"

He smirked and leaned closer, "I'm not supposed to be able to do that, you're a werewolf." By the time he finished, his mouth was an inch away from my ear and he was whispering. I shivered.

I opened my mouth to tell him off, but Kat broke in, "What did you smell?"

"I don't know. He," I jerked my head angrily toward Logan, "Opened the door and scattered the scent. But I've been feeling like someone has been watching me since I left home this morning. I even beat up Miss Pinkerton," Shock flashed on their faces, so I hurriedly added, "On accident. I was getting paranoid."

"Did you see anybody?" All of Logan's flirty manner was gone.

"No."

"I'll see if I can get a scent around here," Logan strutted (yes, I do mean strutted) toward Coach Dolton, he said something, and then flashed us a reassuring smile before going back out the door that led to outside.

"Why is he even here?" I asked Kat.

She shook her head, "No idea. Ask him later."

We got back to our lifting, and besides the fact that our coach wouldn't stop giving us looks of awe at how much we could lift (we didn't go over the appropriate amount, although we came close when we lost track and competed against each other), the rest of gym went smoothly. I didn't smell or feel anything.

During lunch I was bombarded by questions from Tara, who was as chipper as always.

"Where were you? What happened? Someone said you were dead? How come you cut detention? Can I have your number? I was totally lost! Kat and Logan said you were just sick, but I wasn't sure, so I want your number so it never happens again! I hate not know-! Mumph!" Kat clamped her hand over Tara's mouth.

"Oh thank you god! And Kat. Now Tara, you promise not to talk?"

Tara nodded, and Kat released her hand, and wiped it on her jeans after giving Tara a nasty look for slobbering on her hand.

"Good. I just got _really_ sick, that stomach bug that's been going around for a while. And yes, I'll give you my number. And please, don't ever talk like that again."

Tara looked at me weird, "I had that, but it only lasted for five days, not two weeks."

Kat and Logan traded glances across the table (twin telepathy at work). I hadn't thought anyone would be smart enough to notice the flaws in our logic.

"Then that must not be what I got," I finally said.

Tara still looked suspiciously at me, then she turned her gaze next to her to Kat and across the table next to me to Logan. She was looking to see if we gave away anything. We didn't.

"Fine," Hurt flashed through her eyes, "If you don't want to tell me anything it's okay. I won't tell anyone you're lying."

I felt guilty, but I knew I couldn't say anything. After a brief lapse of awkward silence, the bell mercifully rang.

I went to calculus; I had already done this lesson at my old school, so I just daydreamed through class. Eventually the bell rang and I walked to my locker.

Logan was already there. I asked him my question from earlier, "I forgot to ask, how come you were in gym with us today?"

He turned to me, and his eyes lit up, which is what I've come to associate his wicked streak with. "I work as a gym aid during fourth period."

Of course he was, fate wouldn't have it any other way.

I must not have looked very happy, because Logan's face darkened ever so slightly, "I thought you might need help controlling your abilities 'cause your new, and honestly if it was up to me you wouldn't be at school yet anyway. But it seems Kat already beat me to it, but I can't change now that I've signed the aid forms."

I involuntarily grimaced, "So I'm stuck with you." It wasn't a question.

Logan perked up, "Come on Arden, you know deep inside you're loving it."

"Yes, maybe deep, deep, _deep_ down," I mutter.

Logan chuckled, his broad shoulders shook with it, "We're gonna be late if you keep standing here flirting with me." He walked past me to our culture class, leaving me standing there openmouthed and stunned.

_Me _flirting with _him_? Never.

However, he was right that I'd be late if I didn't get moving. But still, it took all that I had to calm down enough to not punch him.

The bell rang as I stepped into the classroom and took my assigned seat next to Logan. He grinned at me as I settled in, I glared back. His face contorted into fake hurt, and my face transformed into a victorious smile. It would have gone on like this for who knows how long if Miss Pinkerton hadn't come in then.

I felt suddenly guilty that I had forgotten about what I had done to her earlier. She seemed fine though. She just walked a little weird.

"Today wraps up our Latin lesson, and you'll be tested on it tomorrow. For the rest of the period you can partner up and study for the test. Conversations _must _be in Latin or you will loose points on the test tomorrow." Miss Pinkerton shuffled over to me, "Since you missed the entire lesson, you need to work extra hard." She looked at me, assessing. Then she gestured for me to follow her up to the front of the classroom. She started flipping through the grade book, "Logan has the best grades, study with him." She lowered her voice, "A little payback for this morning?" Miss Pinkerton laughed at my expression and faced the class, "What are you waiting for? Get studying."

I went back to my desk and looked at Logan, daring him to say a word. All he did was smile, and then he started talking Latin at me. I only understood a few words.

I think he was talking insults at me, "You are too."

His eyes widened slightly and then he smile was back only wider. Damn, what did I just say to him?

"I'm not even going to tell you what you just said to me. Come on, let's get started. You have a lot to learn."

We dived into our books and I actually had a good grasp on the language by the time the bell rang.

"Do you have another class after this?" Logan asked as we gathered our books.

"Nope, you?"

"No, but Kat does. We could go to the library and continue this until Kat's done, or we could just go to my house."

"Let's go to the library. I haven't had a chance to see it yet." Secretly, I'm a big nerd when it comes to books. Or not so secretly really.

"Okay. They have quiet a few good books."

I blinked up at him in surprise, "You read?"

"Yeah," He looked at my surprised expression, "What, do I not look like the reading type?"

"No, you don't. More like the type to kick ass on the soccer field and then run across the beach shirtless in slow-mo."

He laughed, "I can do that too if you want. But it's November out, and a little chilly to be shirtless."

I didn't dignify that with a response. We stepped into the library and I stopped in my tracks.

The library was freaking huge! It had floor to ceiling book cases surrounding the outer walls of the circular shaped room. Then more cases where arranged in rows in a pinwheel fashion; in the middle of it all was a spectacular oval desk. In was made of solid oak and topped with a green colored granite counter. Engraved on a gold plate on the front of the desk was _Thank you to all of the class of 2000 for making this possible._

"Wow," I breathed, once again transfixed on the library's beauty.

"There's some study desks in the back," He tugged my hand and I felt giddy inside. Not that I would _ever_ tell that to anyone.

We started making our way to the back, but I insisted on weaving between cases to get a good look at everything. Many of the book cases were dedicated to fiction, only a couple fewer were nonfiction, and then there were some resource books and a movie case. There were even ladders on wheels like in the movies to help people reach the higher shelves.

Logan noticed the attention I was giving to the library, "It's pretty amazing right? It serves as our public library too."

"Why'd the plaque acknowledge the class of 2000?"

Logan answered, "Because they did so good on their ACT's that the state government awarded the school a grant. Everyone says that the library was virtually nonexistent then, so the school board appointed the grant to the media department."

"Oh."

Logan brought us to a halt and let go of my hand (he had still been holding it?) a blush crept up my neck. He shoved open a big door ahead of us and held it open until I passed through.

Inside the room we had entered were three banks of only slightly outdated computers aimed at a big projector screen. Each bank held about thirteen computers. Compared to my old media department, this room was a gift from the gods.

Logan led me past the computers and through a smaller door than the first. Inside this smaller room were twelve desks with a seating capacity of four people at each one.

Two of them were already occupied. The table closest to the door held a girl and a boy who, no offense intended, fit the stereotypical nerd profile. The guy even had white tape around his glasses. They both sat there looking at flash-cards written on white lined index cards.

The table in the back corner directly across the room from the door was the other occupied one. A plain looking girl- medium brown hair, brownish eyes, medium height and weight and slightly tanned skin- was sitting there by herself with her head buried in a book. No one looked up as we walked in.

Logan weaved between the tables to the one in the back corner opposite the plain girl. As we dug in our bags for our books, I looked around the room. The walls were a soft, light blue and there were posters promoting reading, good grades, and saying no to drugs and peer pressure on the walls at regular intervals. This room was very bare compared to the extravagance of the previous two rooms.

"Ready?" Logan asked.

I flipped open my book and nodded my head.

We dove into our studying. But as the hour came to an end, we started getting off topic and debating on certain points of history. Eventually, we got so many annoyed looks we decided to go outside and wait on the bench out there for Kat.

We continued our discussion, currently it was about religion and the merits of each. "I just don't understand how someone could completely rule out the possibility of any other religion other than their own. What makes theirs any more plausible?" That was what ticked me off about religious wars.

Logan thought for a minute then came up with a retort, "I think it's because every people or culture have different needs, like Africa needs water more than Europe, so they invent, or whatever the case may be, the deities that relate to their needs. That's why places like Europe became monotheistic first; they had less needs, so they had less and less to pray for, which in return allowed them to pray to fewer people. Hence the one god religions."

It did make more sense than most explanations I've gotten, "Then what about the Native Americans? And the Pagans that lived in Europe?"

"I don't know. Quiet honestly, I think you're right about the fact that religions persecute one another with no real-" Logan was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone.

He flipped it open without looking at the caller ID, "Hello?"

I heard a voice declare herself, "It's Kat. Where are you?"

"We're outside on the bench behind the school."

"You mean the one where everyone goes to make out?"

I blushed, and Logan looked over at me with an equally mortified expression. "Yes Kat, that bench."

"So are you making out?" She sounded _way_ too interested in the answer.

"No, we are not. Would you just hurry up and meet us in the parking lot? Mom and Dad are going to get worried if we don't get home soon." He hung up.

"She's on her way," He muttered.

It took Kat four minutes and thirty-five seconds (I counted) to walk up to us. We quickly greeted each other and got into our respective vehicles. Kat had a used mini cooper, Logan still drove his Monte Carlo, and I my Colorado. Logan led the way to his house. I'd never gone there from school, and it was very different. It was shorter too, though still about half an hour.

Elena pulled in right after we did. She looked worried and herded us all into the house.

Kat asked her what was wrong and she just told us to go get a snack and that she had some stuff she had to talk about with Clayton and Jeremy.

We sorta did as we were told. All three of us did go and get a snack- a sandwich and chocolate chip cookie- but Logan crept a little ways down the hallway to hear what was going on. Kat and I stayed in the kitchen keeping up a conversation so that the adults wouldn't get suspicious of the silence.

Logan came back a few minutes later with his head hanging. I was about to ask why, but then Clayton came in with a disapproving look on his face. Logan had been caught eavesdropping.

"Kaine," Clayton turned his head to me, "Go up to the spare bedroom and clean your stuff up." He turned now to Kat and Logan, "Pack talk in the den, go."

It hurt a little bit that I wasn't trusted enough to be included. Not that I expected to be, I knew I wasn't Pack and probably never would be. I took a step towards the hall that would lead to the stairs.

Kat stepped in my way though and both twins turned to their father.

Logan said, "What's wrong with Kaine coming. It probably is related to her anyway."

Kat spoke up on my behalf too, "She hasn't done anything to be treated as an outsider. She needs to know whatever you're going to tell us too."

Surprisingly, I felt really grateful that they would speak up for me like that. I didn't know they liked me that much.

Clayton looked unsure for a moment, then he opened his mouth, but before he could get anything out Elena said from the den, "Let her come Clay, they're right, it does involve her now."

Logan looked triumphant, while Kat just looked like that was always the way things would have turned out. We all filed into the den with Clay bringing up the rear.

We all got seated. Elena began, "I was in town today. I felt someone watching me from the woods." My head shot up, Elena saw me but kept going, "I went in the woods and Changed, they were long gone by the time I got done. I didn't find any tracks or scents. Only a little bit in the air. I couldn't get a handle on it though, it blew away too fast. I don't know what it was."

She looked at me to tell my story, "I felt it too. I was driving to school and something felt all wrong, then I felt watched in the parking lot, and again in P.E. I didn't look for a track."

Even stoic Jeremy looked upset. Clay looked furious that anyone would stalk Elena.

Logan, who I had forgotten was supposed to go check it out during gym, spoke up about his finds, "I went to look for something during P.E. after Kaine told me and I only found a short trail. It went for perhaps three footsteps before disappearing. It only smelled like lilacs; not human or werewolf or anything. Just lilacs."

Kat turned toward her mother and Jeremy, "What does that mean?"

Elena shook her head and shrugged in an I don't know way.

Jeremy however, looked up from the spot on the carpet he had been staring at and looked directly at me, "It means that someone knows Kaine is here, they know what we are, and they want to hide who _they_ are."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

After Jeremy's statement, we didn't talk. No one knew what to say. I'm sure the thought running through everyone's mind was that it was my fault there was something out there. Which honestly, it probably was.

While everyone sat there absorbed in their own thoughts, I quietly slipped out (though I knew everyone knew I left) and headed upstairs to clean my stuff up. It didn't take long to shove everything in my duffel bag and head downstairs. When I peeked into the den, no one was there. I heard voices in the back yard, so I followed them, but didn't go outside. Instead, I stood up against the sliding glass door with my ear pressed to the glass. My body was shielded by the curtain and I knew no one could see me from outside.

Jeremy stood on the back porch with a .22 caliber pistol in his hand. He aimed at a distant target and fired. From where I was standing, I couldn't see if he hit the target, but Jeremy didn't seem like a man that would miss.

Kat and Logan stood in the yard beside and behind Jeremy. They were circling each other like they were preparing for a fight. When they pounced it would have looked like they had really been trying to hurt each other, except for the fact that each of them had a wide grin plastered to their faces.

And Elena and Clay, the remaining two Pack members sat on a piece of patio furniture that resembled a couch. Each of them sat with their back against the arm of the couch and leaned toward each other. They looked like they were in deep discussion. As their voices rose, I started to hear their conversation.

Elena said, "Clay! It's not her fault! She had no idea that someone was watching her! Shit, she didn't even know she was a fucking werewolf!"

"I don't care! She still brought them here, no matter what she knew or didn't! She's endangering our family and the Pack as a whole," Clay bellowed.

"And what do you propose we do? Kill her? Run her out? In case you forgot, that lilac thing followed me too! He could just as well be after me as Kaine!"

_Kill _me? Oh God. They can't kill me!

Clayton looked outraged, "I wouldn't kill her! She's just a kid! But we could give her some money and make her family leave. I just don't want her to be around our family and bringing danger to us."

"And if they are after her? Are we just going to send her away so she could get killed? Or worse? We know better than anyone what sick things people want female werewolves for. Do you want to be responsible for that? You know how you felt when I was kidnapped, and that one time with Katherine. Kaine has a family too, one that loves her just as much as you love us." Elena stood up, "I'm not kicking her out. Period. If I have to pull the Alpha card I'll do it."

Clay reached up to pull Elena back down, "Darlin', calm down. She can stay. I didn't think about it like that." Clay still looked a little uneasy with that decision.

Throughout this exchange, Jeremy had been silent, just shooting a few different guns. Now he turned to exactly where I was hiding, "Kaine, you can come out now."

Clay and Elena looked at Jeremy like they didn't know what he was talking about. Then as I slid open the door and stepped out onto the shady porch they understood. Clay looked angry, Elena looked amused.

I felt a blush work its way up to my face. I mumbled a sorry, and stood there awkwardly for a few minutes.

Elena stood up again, "Obviously you heard our decision, you're more than welcome to leave any time you want though. However, I don't advise it until we figure out what's following us." She paused to let that sink in for a minute. "Why don't you go over with Katherine and Logan and start loosening up, then we can start training."

I knew I was dismissed, I walked down the couple steps, but Elena's voice stopped me, "By the way Kaine, it's impolite to eavesdrop."

I grinned without turning around and continued across the lawn to where Kat and Logan were still sparing. They broke apart when they saw me.

"Hey," Kat said.

"Hi."

"You know our dad wouldn't really kill you right?" I thought it was rhetorical, but Kat looked at me like she really expected an answer.

"You heard that?" I had thought they were too busy fighting to hear their parents.

Logan looked at me in surprise, "He actually said it? I didn't know that. It's just that whenever there's a new mutt that's the first thought that crosses his mind. I didn't think he'd actually tell you that."

"He didn't tell me, I was eavesdropping." Something else they said sunk in, "Wait, there have been other mutts?"

Kat answered, "Karl, Noah, Reece, Morgan, and Alex. They all joined sometime in our life, but for Karl, Noah, and Reece we were too young to know what was going on. Morgan joined about eight years ago, and Alex was six years ago. Dad was the last person to accept them into the Pack, he fought against Mom and Jeremy until Mom went Alpha on him. That's the only way he let them stay. He finally treats everyone with as much respect as he'll ever give."

"Alex?" I had seen everyone else at the Pack Meet.

This time Logan responded, "He was also kidnapped by the men who took Kat." Out of the corner of my eye I caught Kat shuddering and then she left us to go sit on the porch with her parents, "Considering these men where all well into their sixties, although they only looked thirty or so, they thought they'd have a better chance of convincing Kat to, uhhh," Logan looked around awkwardly and coughed, "mate if they had someone younger. They forced Alex to lure Kat into their hideout and pretend he was on the same side. Long story short, between the Pack and Alex, since he really was on our side, we got Kat out. Kat wouldn't leave though until we got Alex too. This brought on a big fight between Dad and everyone else. Finally he accepted the idea of Alex in the Pack."

I couldn't imagine going through what Kat and apparently Elena had. Being kidnapped only to be forced to mate with some creep? "So where's Alex now?"

Logan shrugged, "Somewhere in Africa with his doctor uncle. His uncle's one of us too."

"Logan, Kaine, I don't see you guys doing anything but standing there! Get working!" Elena yelled at us.

"What are we supposed to be doing?" I asked Logan.

"Sparing?"

"Sure."

Logan crouched and started to circle me, I followed suite. We got through about five rotations before he lunged to my right and I stepped back and to my left. But it was only a feint and while I was still off balance Logan used his leg to sweep my feet form under me. I fell and rolled to my right then leaped up and caught Logan off guard with my punch to his stomach. Then we backed up and returned to our original circling.

It felt so good not having to hold anything back from my opponent. I could hit and kick with everything I had and me and Logan would probably still be equally matched.

This time I attacked first. I didn't feint and I think that knocked Logan off more than feinting would have. I kicked out hard with my left foot and hit him in the solar plexus and his center of gravity. He stumbled back and tripped over his own feet. I wasn't sure rather I was supposed to wait for him to get back up or not, but whatever the choice was I waited too long to make it because Logan was up in a flash and this time he came straight at me too. He launched out his fist and it collided with my nose. My head snapped back and once again I fell to the ground. I barely had a chance to roll before Logan attacked the place I had been seconds before.

I pushed myself up from the ground and tried to ignore the fact that my nose was broken and gushing blood. I stood up right behind Logan, but I must have made to mush noise because he was up and facing me before I had time to think about what to do.

We didn't go back to our circling this time and instead just threw ourselves at one another repeatedly. We punched and kicked and blocked and dodged. It was so much fun. We didn't hold anything back and gave our mock fight everything we had. I can't say that either of us had the upper hand for long, and certainly neither of us won. But we were prepared to go all day to see who would have won (or dropped of exhaustion) and I really do think things would have gotten very messy if the adults and Kat wouldn't have intervened.

"Before you kill yourselves you two need to stop." Elena said in a motherly way. I never thought I would be able to apply that word to her.

Kat spoke up too, "Geesh Logan, I don't think anyone's ever beat you besides Dad and Uncle Antonio."

I grinned and resisted the urge to make a face at Logan.

Logan on the other hand scowled at me, "She didn't beat me."

Do I sense a sore looser?

I could tell Clay was resisting the urge to grin too, "No she didn't win, but she certainly didn't loose either."

Jeremy walked over to me and lifted his hands to my nose, "It's definitely broke," he stated, and then before I had time to blink he snapped it back into place so it would heal straight. "There," then he dropped his hand back to his side.

Ouch, that didn't feel too good. My eyes welled up with involuntary tears. I quickly wiped them away before anyone saw.

Next Jeremy walked over to Logan and prodded his left hand. Faintly, I recalled hearing a snap after one of his punches landed on my jaw.

Jeremy confirmed my suspicion when he said, "You're thumb and first finger are broke, and I think you're wrist is sprained. It shouldn't take long to heal. Neither should you're nose, Kaine."

"Are you a doctor?" I asked.

"No. I read all the books and know what to do, but I never went to school."

"So why'd you study it?"

Jeremy gave a pointed look at Clay, "Because it was too dangerous to have to take the Pack to a doctor every time one of them was hurt."

"Oh"

It was getting dark out even though it was only six o'clock, but then again it was late October in the Northern Hemisphere.

Elena broke the short silence and turned to me, "I was thinking we should go on a run. That way you can start learning to control your Changes."

"Okay," I said slowly. I was still nervous about willingly allowing myself to go through all that pain.

Elena nodded, "Then Jeremy can coach you through it. That used to be his job."

"Okay," I repeated. Everyone started heading towards the woods, so I followed them.

When we got far enough in, everyone started stripping except for Jeremy who stood of to the side with a thoughtful look on his face. I just stood there _very_ awkwardly and tried to avert my eyes anywhere there wasn't semi-naked people.

Finally, someone noticed my discomfort, it was Elena. "Oh, right," she chuckled, and everyone mercifully stopped stripping, "You can go over there in that clump of bushes."

I quickly vacated the clearing and ran into the bushes. After I made sure I was far enough in that no one could see me, I started to undress. After I was done I put my clothes under a bush and got on my knees as I remembered doing the first time with Logan.

"Now what?" I called out.

"Take deep breaths," Jeremy said from right behind me, completely scaring the shit out of me. I twisted around to see him sitting with his back turned towards me at the edge of the bushes. He was shirtless, but thankfully he still had pants on.

I did as I was told.

"Now think about the Change."

I did. Nothing happened. I thought harder, and my stomach started to feel queasy.

"Keep thinking about the Change, but keep your head clear," Jeremy said soothingly.

I don't know what that was supposed to mean, but I tried none the less. Soon enough, I started to feel something happening to me. I felt everything shift, nothing too major, just as if everything in my body was moved a half an inch or so in different directions. Then the more I thought about Changing, the more things started to feel different. Pretty soon, I knew that my bones would break and my organs would shrink or expand, and then my skin would sprout hair and so on.

"Keep your mind focused, that's all you have to do, then just let everything else happen as it would," Jeremy reminded me.

I just kept thinking about how once this was over I'd get to run around all over the forest and do things I'd never dreamed of. So I kept thinking about Changing and letting my body do what it needed to do.

Then it all started to happen at once. My hands started to break and Change into paws, and then everything else Changed too. I think I puked, and I know I screamed a couple times. I heard Jeremy tell me to relax and just let it happen. Half way through, I just wanted to go back, I wanted everything to go back to normal. I knew that wasn't likely to happen anytime soon though, so I tried to plow on. I think I failed.

Eventually though, it stopped. I put my furry head on my paws and lay there panting. I heard Jeremy leave and figured he was probably Changing too.

I don't know how long I lay there, but eventually I heard a snuffling sound and the bushes started to rustle. Then two blonde wolves stuck there heads in. I sniffed the air and figured out that they were Kat and Logan. The far one with the silver muzzle and raccoon looking mask was Logan. The solid blonde, slightly smaller one was Kat.

They came over to me and started to nudge me in an attempt I assumed was to get me up. I felt rested enough to get up and I started to stretch. Then I sat back on my haunches and tilted my head in a 'what now' manner.

Logan stared at me and Kat trotted ahead and came back to us. I knew that meant I should follow her so I did, and Logan trailed behind me. Kat began to pick up pace and so did I. Soon we were going full speed racing across the forest floor.

I smelled things I'd never thought had any smell. There were small rodents and deer and dew and rotting leaves and even flower smells although it was almost November. I was tempted to follow the scents of the animals, but the running felt too good to pass up.

It was amazing. I've said that a lot lately, but it's true. I could finally be myself. And running in wolf form was no exception. I was born to do this. I thought it felt good to stretch my legs running when I was human, but this was so much better.

Eventually though, Kat started to slow down and Logan and I did too. We stopped at a little pond and all took drinks. Logan, sitting beside me, nudged me and pointed to the pond with his muzzle. At first I didn't understand, and then I realized that he wanted me to look at my reflection.

Since I was curious to know what I looked like, I looked down. It felt weird that I still thought like a human (there were a few twinges in my thought process, but not many) but I looked like a wolf. My eyes were still a bright green, and my fur was the same deep black my hair had been when I was human. But the blue highlight in my human hair was much more pronounced in my wolf form. It started above my left eye and streaked over the top of my head, behind my ear, and to my shoulder blade and was about two inches thick. I don't know rather it looked more ridiculous or cute.

All our heads snapped up when a howl went up to our right. Apparently, Kat and Logan recognized it because they sprinted off and left me to follow. Once again, we raced through the darkening forest.

A minute or two later we arrived in a little clearing where everyone was gathered. It was so weird that you could tell who everyone was even though they were wolves. Jeremy was the black one who was a little bigger than everyone but one other wolf. This wolf was Clay, and he looked scarily identical to Kat except his eyes were a darker, brighter blue and he towered over Kat. Elena was the same silver as Logan's muzzle and she was beautiful even as a wolf.

The three adults stopped what they were doing when I entered the clearing. Their heads were cocked to the side. Then Clay and Elena looked at each other than back at me. Elena wolf grinned and then Clay lunged at me and snapped at my ankles. I danced back and skipped to the side. Clay lunged at me again and when I dodged that he snarled at me.

Was he seriously trying to hurt me? I knew that Clay didn't like me much, but I didn't think he'd really try to kill me.

Then I saw Clay grinning and I knew it wasn't for real. I hope. Just as I thought I'd have to do a repeat of my fight with Logan only as a wolf, the smell of deer wafted across the clearing and everything stopped.

It was stronger than what I had smelled earlier, and it made my mouth water. I've never wanted to hunt before. In fact, I'm strongly opposed to it. I target shoot, but would never dream of killing anything. But to my surprise, I _wanted_ to kill that deer. It was just instincts right? It was the cycle of life. But do werewolves belong in that cycle? We could go to the store and buy food; we don't _have_ to kill an innocent animal. Yes, it's wrong for me to want to kill that deer. Even though I really wanted to.

Apparently, the rest of them didn't think the same way I did. As soon as the smell left the clearing they all started whining and signaling how they were going to take it down. After they had everything arranged, Logan nudged my legs and gestured, as well as he could, that I was supposed to follow him. I shook my head and sat down. After a few failed attempts to get me to move, he gave up and ran off, pausing once to look back at me to make sure I wasn't moving.

I wasn't. There was no way I was hunting that deer.

I waited in the clearing for a while, I just sniffed around and listened to the chase I was missing. There was some crashing in the undergrowth along with howling, barking, and growling. I wondered how long I would have to wait before they were done.

Eventually, Logan came back and motioned for me to follow him. I did, although carefully because I was unsure where he was taking me. It didn't take long before we made it to our destination. It was a smaller clearing than the last one and another difference was that this clearing had a deer carcass in the middle of it.

The smell was both mouthwatering and revolting. I didn't know why Logan brought me here when I so obviously didn't want to participate in the hunt. That is until he nudged me with his nose again, telling me to go up and take a hunk of meat. Again I shook my head and sat down. If I wasn't going to kill it I wasn't going to eat it.

Logan gave up and went up himself to take a bloody leg of the doe. He came back over to my side of the clearing and sat down about five feet from me. As he gnawed on the leg, I looked around the clearing. Jeremy sat a little apart from everyone and also chewed on a leg. Elena and Clay sat facing each other ripping apart a slab of meat. Then there was Kat to the left of Logan who was licking her paws after eating some of the deer too.

I was getting inpatient sitting there looking at a doe carcass so I started to pace. After a few growls from various wolves I just aimlessly ran around the forest, careful to make sure I knew where the clearing or the house was.

I had no purpose to my run, I just wanted to move. I flew over the ground and jumped over any obstacles. I inhaled and if I found an interesting scent I followed it then chased after another one when it caught my interest. I continued like this for maybe half an hour before I caught something that stopped me dead in my tracks.

The smell of lilacs.

_What should I do?_ I thought to myself. I didn't know rather I should follow it or go tell the others. What if it was a trap? From what we found, this thing didn't leave a trail unless it wanted to. While I was thinking, I started to move around so if they were watching they wouldn't know I found the scent.

Since I'm not one of those dumb heroines you always yell at not to go into the forest or building at night, I shouldn't follow the trail. Even though I was extremely curious, I would not follow that trail because most likely it would be very, very bad to follow it.

Reluctantly, I started to run back to the clearing where I'd left the Pack. Halfway there I heard a whizzing sound and then a black arrow was hurling at my head. Just as it would have impacted, I ducked. I ran in zigzag patterns at uneven intervals as more whizzing sounds filled the air.

My heartbeat raced and my steps quickened. I was being hunted like an animal. Technically at this moment I was an animal, but that made no difference to me.

An arrow snagged itself in my fur on my back and I stumbled long enough for another arrow to be launched and narrowly miss my leg. I howled and made a last ditch effort for the clearing.

A few more arrows zinged past me, but they didn't catch like the one on my back which was still connected to my fur and a little skin. As if knowing I arrived at backup, the archer stopped shooting as I burst into the clearing and stumbled over a root.

Every head whipped in my direction and seeing the arrow, everyone but Kat turned to the outside of the clearing and started looking for potential threats. Kat came over to me and ripped the arrow out with her teeth once she saw it wasn't deep. It still hurt a little when it tore through skin, but compared to the bigger threat, it was nothing.

The other werewolves had apparently found nothing because they turned their attention and formed a circle around me as we ran toward the place we first Changed.

We got there in two minutes flat and started Changing back. I had absolutely no idea how to do that but I went into the bushes and tried nonetheless.

It didn't go so well. I don't know how long I stood there waiting for something to happen before Jeremy spoke to me, "Kaine, are you okay?"

I barked in a yes sort of way.

"Good. Now you need to think about going back to human form. Like you did to go wolf, only this time it should be easier. Breath and think, that's all you do," Jeremy spoke calmly, how that man does it I will never know. If it was me I'd be freaking out that there's some person on my property shooting at things. Although at this point I am freaking out because the thing getting shot at was me.

I tried to calm down, and I think it worked for the most part. After five deep breaths I started to feel my bones break again and everything go back to human form. It still hurt like a SOB, but it wasn't quiet as bad as Changing to a wolf.

Once again after my Change I lay panting on the ground and only moved to get my clothes back on. On the bright side, my nose felt better.

"Are you dressed Kaine?" Jeremy's voice once again was directed at me.

"Yes," I responded, and I was surprised at how weak my voice was.

Jeremy pushed his way into the bushes and inspected me. "That arrow didn't go in deep did it?"

"No, just a little skin and fur."

"Good. And you're nose?"

I felt it and was amazed at how it was straight with no crack in it even though it has been broke not three hours ago. "Healed."

"Let's go in the house then and talk," Jeremy turned around and walked out of the forest.

I saw that no one was still at the spot where everyone but me had Changed. However, there were various bits of clothing left, like a bra, t-shirt and pair of pants. I really hoped everyone was decent when I got inside.

I caught up to Jeremy and we walked into the house together.

"It'll get easier every time you do it," he spoke up suddenly from my side as we walked down the hall into the den.

"What will?"

"Changing. It hardly bothers most of us now."

"Oh."

As we passed through the kitchen, I looked at the clock above the stove and saw it was almost nine o'clock. I really had to get home. Curious, I checked my phone which sat at the kitchen table and saw that I had 36 texts, 25 missed calls, and 19 voice mails from my parents or Willy. A couple texts were from my friends Nolan and Emery.

I took my cell with me to the den and prepared to answer questions. I wasn't disappointed.

"Why the hell were people shooting arrows at you?" Clay started the questioning.

Because I ate their dog, "I don't know! I smelled the lilacs and decided not to follow the trail because that's what always gets you killed. I started to come back and get one of you guys but then I was getting shot at."

"So they've been here." Elena murmured.

I thought, _or still are here._

Clay seemed to realize this too and he stepped towards the doorway.

Elena grabbed his arm, "How are you going to find them if they don't leave a trail? Obviously, they're after Kaine, so as long as we're all inside they aren't going to try to hurt any of us. They singled her out because they're afraid of us all together."

Her reasoning must have gotten through to him because he growled out "They should be afraid," and sat down, but not before giving me a glare telling me that this was my entire fault, not that I needed reminded.

"I need to go home. My parents have been calling for hours." I stood up and was about to say goodbye when Logan spoke up.

"I should go with her, I could scout around her house. I have the best nose after mom anyways. And if we're right then Kaine shouldn't be alone anyway, and this person won't try to hurt me. I'll ride with her and then run home after I Change."

I looked at him weird. He didn't meet my gaze.

Elena sighed and her eyes flicked towards me before resting on her son, "Logan, I don't think that's the best idea. We don't know a lot about this person, if we're wrong about what they want, they could try to kill you too. Even if all they want is to get you out of the way."

She had a good point.

Logan also had a nice rebuttal as if he knew his mom would say that, "Well then I'll ride home with her, scout a little bit, then you can send Kat or someone to pick me up. How does that sound?"

Elena's eyes narrowed, "Better. I do think you have a point that her house should be checked, I just don't feel right about sending you alone."

"I'll go too." Kat volunteered from the floor where she sat sprawled.

"Fine. I think that would be okay. I need you to call me when you get there and when you leave. Deal?"

"Okay. Come on, let's go." Kat clapped her hands and stood up from the floor.

I grabbed my duffel bag from where it sat beside the front door. As I opened the door, I couldn't help but stumble as a burst of wind slammed into me. It seemed that in the fifteen minutes we had spent inside the sky had decided to open up and release a downpour that made visibility near impossible.

By the time we wrestled our way to my truck though, the storm had started to abate and we decided we could probably make it to my house.

"Logan!" Kat had to yell to be heard over the wind, "I'll take the Jeep. You ride with Kaine incase something happens!"

What could possibly happen in a tornado strength storm that Logan would have any control over? I wasn't sure I wanted the answer to that question after the events of today.

Once we got into the truck, it was so much easier to hear what was going on. I turned up the heater a little bit and cranked up the Paramore CD in my player.

"You listen to this stuff?" Logan sounded a little insulted.

"Yes, yes I do. Any problem with that?" I turned it up a little more.

He scowled, "Nope."

"Good."

A few minutes of silence followed, and then Logan spoke, "Why didn't you help hunt or eat that deer?"

I kept my eyes focused on the road and tried to see through the downpour. "I don't believe in killing another living thing that did nothing to me."

Logan snorted, "Really?" He said disbelievingly.

"Really. Is that hard to believe?"

"Incredibly," He paused, "You're not vegetarian are you?"

"Definitely not," I tried it once and the first time we had bacon I was done for.

"That's good to hear. I once dated a girl who was, I could never do it again," He chuckled, and then he stopped abruptly.

I swerved. What the hell was the part about _again_?

This time the silence was awkward, very awkward.

My phone buzzed in the cup holder between the seats.

"Answer that for me please," I asked Logan.

"Safe driver?"

"Yup," I was still trying to concentrate on the road ahead.

He pushed the talk button on the phone, "Hello?"

My mom's voice came across panicked and wary at the same time, "Who is this?"

"It's Logan, Kaine's friend. We met yesterday."

Calling him a friend was a bit of a stretch.

"Where is she?"

"We are in the truck driving to your house now," Logan responded.

"Why are you coming? Is Kaine okay?" My mother really needed to calm down.

Before Logan could respond I whispered the first excuse that came to my mind, "Tell her you, Kat, and I are studying. Don't tell her about what happened. It'll only get her upset."

He nodded, looked at the dashboard clock, raised an eyebrow, and then relayed my message.

"At nine o'clock at night?" That's what the problem was, "Put Kaine on the phone now please."

"She's driving, ma'am," I could tell Logan was getting annoyed with my mom.

"Fine then," I heard the little beep that meant someone hung up.

Logan opened his mouth, but before he could say it I did, "Yes, I know she's ill-mannered and a pain in the ass. You don't need to say it."

Logan grunted and started to play with my phone.

"What are you doing?" I hated people messing with my personal stuff.

"Who's Emery?" He sounded funny.

"A friend. Now please give that back." I reached across the consol in the middle of the seat and tried to blindly grab it.

Logan held it out of my reach, "Well at 6:49 today he texted you to say he was coming to visit Friday."

I lost focus on getting my phone back, "Really? Did he say anything about Valerie and Nolan?" We have been trying to get together ever since I moved but one of us is always busy.

Logan scrolled some more on my cell, "Nothing about a Valerie, just him and Nolan."

"Oh," Why wouldn't she come?

I didn't really have time to think about that because we had gotten to the part of town my house was at and I was trying to find my house through the almost horizontal sheets of rain.

"Are they friends from your old school?" Logan asked.

"Mmm-hmm," I found it and turned into the driveway and pulled to the side so Kat could pull in, "I met them at the gym."

"Oh."

We got out and ran to the front door with Kat. My dad pulled open the door before I had time to knock.

We got in and shook off some of the rain.

"Logan," Kat said, "We should go scout."

I winced and shot Kat a glare, too late though, because my mom pounced.

"Scout? What does that mean? What's going on?"

"Mom!" I snapped, "Calm down. They're just going to go and look around the yard for any trails."

She looked indignant, "Why would they have to do that?"

"Don't freak out." I commanded, "There was an incident today in the woods at their place." She looked purple. I braced myself for the worst part, "And there may be someone following me."

"What? What do you mean there might be someone following you? What happened? I knew letting you go was a mistake!"

"Mom calm down! I got shot by an arrow, nothing major whatsoever! And letting me go over there is what my real parents wanted, and it's probably the only reason I'm alive at this moment in time!"

Willy- who sat on the couch-, Kat and Logan all watched the exchange silently. Dad, on the other hand didn't like it when we fought, "Both of you quit your yelling! Donna, she's right, and there's nothing we could have done anyway. Kaine, you need to stop yelling at your mother."

I glared at my mom and didn't say a word. She fidgeted and eventually left the room and headed towards the kitchen.

I could feel Logan's eyes burning the side of my head.

"Logan," Kat said again, "We should go scout before the storm gets worse."

"Do you need me to come?" I didn't know rather I'd just get in the way or not.

"Why don't you stay here, just in case they're out there." Kat told me then opened the door and left, Logan followed.

I went to my room and got changed for bed in nice warm clothes. I put on my fuzzy pajamas that were in my duffel bag from the Danvers'. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," I responded.

Willy pulled open the door and stepped in, "Hi."

"Hey."

"Are you okay? I mean the arrow thing." He sat down on the foot of the bed and studied me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It barely even hit me. And I heal supper fast. I broke my nose today, and you can't even tell."

His eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning at the thought of something totally knew and secretive in the science community. "Really? No way! That's impossible."

I grabbed the pocket knife I kept on my nightstand and opened it, Willy's eyes widened, but he remained silent as I sliced open a cut on my upper arm. It started to drip blood. William opened his mouth to probably yell at me for hurting myself and lying. I held up a hand to stop him and held my arm out more. I could feel my skin knitting itself back together, and within a minute the cut was gone and all that remained was a small pool of blood and a scar.

Willy reached his hand out to touch the healed cut but I jerked my arm back. "Don't touch! You can get turned if my blood or saliva gets into your body."

He looked alarmed and pulled his hand back. He looked up into my eyes and mercifully I saw no fear, only intrigue. "Hmmm," His eyes got far away and then refocused, "Well anyway, I came to tell you that there's a tornado watch and flood warning until six o'clock tomorrow morning. I thought you might want to get your friends from outside."

He got up and pulled the door closed behind him. I looked out my window and saw that Kat and Logan were indeed still outside.

I slipped out the kitchen door and ran over to where they were sniffing, thank god it was night out or I would have some serious neighbor issues for the rest of my time here in Bear Valley.

"You guys should come inside!" I yelled over the increasing wind, "There's a tornado watch and I doubt they'd be out here in this weather anyway!"

They nodded and followed me back inside. I got them towels to dry off with, "Did you find anything?"

They shook their heads no and Logan elaborated, "It's really hard to find anything out there. I could barely even smell Kat." That comment would have been offensive in any other context but this, "By the time the storm is over, there won't be any trace left though. So basically we have no idea if he's been here."

I sighed, "Great."

I pushed aside the curtain and peered out. "I don't think you guys are going anywhere," It was horrible outside. There was a tree down across the road and the wind had been so loud that we hadn't even heard it crash. Then a few power lines were flailing in the wind. And there was no visibility at all after a few inches in front of your eyes.

They crowded around me and looked out too. Logan swore under his breath and Kat groaned.

Kat tried her phone, but apparently cell towers were down too because she said, "Mom and Dad are going to be shitting themselves if they don't hear from us."

"Damn, does your phone work?" He looked at me.

I checked, "No. And there's no way your driving in that tonight, you'll never make it."

Logan turned to Kat, "You called when we got here right?" She nodded, "Then they'll know we weren't stupid enough to drive home. We'll have to call in the morning." He then turned to me and grinned, his voice raising an octave at an unsuccessful attempt to mimic a girl's voice, "Looks like we're having a slumber party!"

_Oh dear God._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

I didn't have much choice in letting them stay unless I wanted them to kill themselves on their way home. I checked with my dad- my mom was in their room sulking.

"Shower's down the hallway if you want to use it," My dad instructed our guests, "Kitchen's over there, help yourself to whatever you want. And Logan is it? You can take William's room. Katherine, I'm sure Kaine would let you sleep in her room. Please, just make yourselves at home." Dad walked away towards his and mom's room.

Willy came into the room and glared at Logan, "That's not fair that you get my bed! I didn't invite you over!"

Logan chuckled, why did he have to have such a sexy chuckle? "I wasn't going to take your bed anyway. I'll sleep on the couch."

"Well I for one want a bed," Kat announced, "That is, if you don't mind?" She asked me.

"No, go ahead. I'll just crash in Willy's room."

William was only slightly happier with this than bunking with Logan.

We all took turns taking showers. I still had mud, blood, and leaves scattered in my hair and stuck to my skin. After his shower, William left to his room and was most likely sister-proofing.

While Logan showered I got Kat some clothes to sleep in and we tried our cells a couple more times with no luck.

We sat on the couch and talked while Kat waited for her brother to finish up.

"I don't know how you do it," Kat sighed wistfully.

"Do what?"

"Stay so composed. I haven't seen you cry or scream or break down at all. You've been through so much in such a short time. Christ, you were shot with an arrow and you act like that happens weekly. Honestly? I wasn't even shot and I was almost hyperventilating. You're so brave."

I snorted, "No, I'm not brave, I'm unemotional and weird. Besides, you _do_ have to deal with this shit weekly and you're not a nut-job." From the way the Pack acted and from what Logan told me about Kat being kidnapped it's very evident that they're used to dealing with danger.

Kat shook her head, "Exactly. I've grown up with this stuff. You've been a part of the supernatural community for a month and you already have a target on your back. That usually takes at least six months to achieve."

"Well don't I feel special," I muttered sarcastically. Then something clicked after processing Kat's last statement, "Why _do_ they want me all of a sudden? I've been a werewolf my whole life, so why now? It's not like I've shouted it to the heavens. The only people who know are you guys and my family."

Kat looked at the wall behind my head and I knew she was thinking. Then her eyes widened and refocused on my face, "The Russian Pack knows."

I grabbed for the phone and started to dial the number for the Russian Werewolf Hotline before I remembered the phone lines were down. I put the phone back on the cradle.

I latched onto the idea nonetheless, "Do you think they'd try to hurt me?" I've only spoken to Roman once, but he seemed friendly enough.

Again, Kat shook her head, "I don't think Roman would order that. Especially if he knew your father."

I still wanted to explore every concept of the idea though, "Do you think some of his Pack might have done it on their own?"

"I don't see why they would. They don't know you, why would they want to kill you?"

I sighed, "You're right. I'll just call Roman in the morning and see if he has any ideas though."

I heard the shower turn off and I tried really, _really_ hard to think about math and not what Logan's body looked like when it's wet.

I _almost _succeeded.

I focused back on Kat and tried to make small talk and get my mind off Logan. "So, do you know what college you're going to?" I myself had only sent out a couple applications because obviously I'd been a little tied up lately.

"I have my picks, but they have to go through my family first. At the rate it's going I'll be stuck in community college when I really want to be at Yale studying cryptology." She looked very frustrated.

I was frustrated too, "So you just go where they tell you? I know you have a backbone! If you want to go to Yale, then go." It absolutely amazes me that a person like Kat won't fight for her decisions.

Kat looked hurt, "Kaine, you're completely clueless about some things." She leaned forward and her eyes flashed with conviction, "Logan told you about just _one_ kidnapping. There have been too many attempts to count on both our hands. You have no idea what sick things mutts dream up for us. My mom is _married_ and they still go after her. Not only do they want me and her because we're females, but because we're Pack and more importantly we're loved by Clayton Danvers. That's why mom doesn't want to kick you out. If some mutt finds you, you'll be kidnapped and raped and beaten and probably killed since you'd put up a helluva fight." She eased back against the couch and laughed mirthlessly, "No matter how good of a fighter you are, they'll beat you," She shivered and her voice cracked on the last two words.

"You really don't know how horrible it is to be helpless. You can't fight, no one hears your screams, and you know someone's looking for you, but all you can think is that they won't make it in time."

She's right, I don't know how it feels, "Kat, I've seen you fight, you'd never be helpless."

She stared at me like I'd sprouted another head, "There will _always_ be someone bigger and stronger than you that will take you down." She sighed, "But you're missing the point, my parents want me to go to college around here so they can protect me. Yeah sure I'm smart enough to get into the Ivy Leagues, but I'm not going to learn anything if I'm six feet under or getting raped."

"While I'm sure you're carrying on a lovely conversation, I was wondering if perhaps you'd be kind enough to provide me with some clothes." Logan said from directly behind me. I couldn't help but think that he had defied orders to stop sneaking up on me.

I turned around to face him; all he had on was a towel. I blushed which caused him to laugh and twirl around, "Enjoying the show are you, Arden?"

"Incredibly so," I threw back.

At least he had the decency to stop and look bashful.

"So I agree, then you blush?" I tease.

Beside me Kat giggles and stands up to go get her shower. With Logan's back to her, she winked at me and disappeared down the hallway.

What the hell did that mean? I stared confusedly after her.

"Kaine," Logan snapped me out of my short trance, "Clothes would be nice at this point. There's a breeze in here."

To prevent my parents from having a heart attack at the sight of a practically naked teenage boy in their house, I told Logan to stay put. My dad gave me a pair of sweats and a t-shirt for Logan before telling me my mom needs rest and not to bother them. Then he shut the door in my face.

Feeling oh so loved, I made my way back to Logan, threw the clothes in his face and said, "Kick Willy out of his room to change. Please don't come out till you're dressed."

One final heart-melting smile and he left.

By then it was 10:00 but I was still wired. And hungry. In our small kitchen the rain could be heard hammering relentlessly against the roof. It was an almost peaceful, albeit loud, sound.

During my absence, my parents had let our food supply run dangerously low. I searched the freezer and finally scrounged up two frozen pizzas. I popped them into the oven and gazed outside.

The view in the window set in the kitchen door was chaotic. Rain flew in horizontal sheets, trees were almost lying down in the wind, and more power lines whipped in the wind gusts. Anything not covered or held down was scattered or flying around. While I couldn't see that far outside, the reflection of the kitchen I could see fine.

I spun around to face Logan, "Ha!" I felt satisfied I had caught him this time, "Gotcha!" I gloated. A bit like a kid I must say.

He held his hands up in surrender and laughed, "And the student has become the master." He sniffed, "Pizza? Enough for me?"

I nodded, "You, me and Kat. I think."

We stood there staring at each other until I questioned him, "So when we first met, why where you such an ass?" I had been curious about that ever since he went all nice on me.

Logan fidgeted and avoided my gaze, "I just had some… uhhh… issues. You know, bad week."

"Uh-huh. And I'm supposed to believe that based on what? Good eye contact? Come on Logan, I'm just curious."

His clear blue eyes met mine, "I may have been a tiny bit scared," He admitted.

"Scared," I repeated. Logan didn't seem like someone who got frightened easily, "What the hell would you be scared of?"

He looked down at his bare feet, "You," he mumbled so low I almost didn't hear him.

"Me," I repeated dumbly.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

He looked up at me and asked, "What do you think of me?"

I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes, "I guess I'd call you a friend. What does this have to do with me?" I knew I wasn't telling him the complete truth of the feelings I had. I felt connected to him, even though I barely knew him. I didn't think it was that much stronger than friendship though.

Logan's eyes looked suspicious and mildly hurt, "That's all?"

I avoided the question, "Why, what do you fell about me?"

He looked uncomfortable again, "The truth?"

I nodded.

"Okay then," He stared into my eyes and as much as I hated it, I shivered. "I feel a very deep connection with you. That's why I was an ass. I was scared of what it all meant. I'm only seventeen for God's sake, to think I may have found a m-" His eyes widened and he cut himself short.

I was confused and embarrassed and frightened of where this was going all at once. "A what? You found a what? What the hell do you think you've found?" I knew what the answer would be but I had to make him say it.

Logan looked suddenly determined, "A mate. That's I think I've found."

No. "No, no, no, no, no! I'm seventeen, I don't know you, I don't even want a boyfriend!" What the hell was he thinking?

"Naw shit Arden! You seem like a cool person and all, but like you said, we're seventeen." He still wouldn't goddamn let go of my gaze and I couldn't break free for the life of me.

"Well how do we fix it?" Was my genius response.

Logan laughed drily, "Fix? You can't, it's inevitable. We might not feel it now, but eventually we'll love each other."

God, "We have no choice? Whatsoever?"

Logan shook his head no, "Not according to any research Kat had done," He sighed.

I climbed up on a bar stool and Logan shortly joined me on the one next to me, "So we're stuck."

"Yup."

"Destined to love each other," God that sounded so cheesy.

"As cheesy as it sounds, yup." He read my mind.

And I started laughing. Pure, uncontrolled, hysterical laughter. Laughter at how ridiculous this whole situation was; about my whole new life. The melt-down Kat said I never had came crashing down on me. My laughter turned to tears and I buried my face into my still dirty hands.

I never, ever, _ever_ cry. I was completely shocked when the first tear did drip down my face. Tentatively, I felt Logan's strong arms wrap around me.

"Awww," He murmured above my head, "I can't be that bad."

I tried to laugh, but it didn't work out to well, "It's," sob, "Not all you," sniffle, "Someone's trying to kill me," I was starting to control my tears, "And I'm just really overloaded right now."

He rubbed my back.

"I'm sorry Logan," I said as I realized I was getting snot on his/my dad's shirt.

"S'okay. Least I can do after unleashing all that on you. And I did break your nose," He chuckled at the memory.

I pulled back and glared- obviously it didn't have quiet the intended affect, "And I broke you hand. Don't you dare go easy on me next time just 'cause you broke my nose!"

He looked amused, "You're emotions change too fast."

"I'm never like this," I assured him.

Logan's eyes turned serious, "So what are we going to do?"

Good question, "What _can _we do?"

"You could take about three steps back from each other to save my retinas," Kat said from the doorway with a look of disgust.

Before Kat came in, I hadn't realized how close Logan and I were sitting. Now we jumped apart like we'd been tazed.

"And now you," She looked at me sternly, "Should take your shower while I talk to my brother," She managed to glare at the both of us.

I did take my shower and made sure to scrub every piece of dirt and caked on blood until I was squeaky clean. I tried to get it so my eyes didn't look quiet so blotchy but when I returned to the kitchen I knew I hadn't done a very good job.

Logan was taking the pizzas out and Kat was waiting to cut them.

"There's some pop in the fridge," I said, not really knowing what to say.

"Thanks," Kat answered and poured some of the liquid into the mismatched glasses in the cupboard. "We probably won't have school tomorrow with all the damage done from the storm."

Logan grunted agreement.

We ate our late night snack in awkward silence. As soon as we wolfed it down (no pun intended), Kat went to my room to get to sleep.

"I'll wash dishes," I said while I started to clean the table.

"You want me to rinse?" Logan wiped the table with a damp dishcloth.

I shrugged, "Nah, you can go get the couch set up. Blankets and pillows are in the hall closet by the bathroom."

It took me ten minutes to wash the dishes and make my way to Willy's room. I snuck in quietly, knowing by the snores I heard outside that William was sleeping. And there he was, taking up every possible inch of that bed. When I tried to move him, he refilled the empty section with some appendage or another. There wasn't even room on the floor due to the excess amounts of clothes and shit everywhere.

"Damn," I mumbled quietly and thought of what to do. The only choice I really had was to either camp out in the hallway or the living room. The hallway was narrower than my bed and there was a 99% chance of getting trampled by an unwary midnight bathroom traveler. Living room it was.

When I entered said room, I was greeted by the drool worthy sight of Logan shirtless. Knowing what I did about the mate thing did absolutely nothing to stop what attractedness I had for his abs.

I closed my mouth before he could see me and dumped my assortment of pillows and blankets on the recliner and started to settle in.

"Just couldn't stay away?"Logan grinned, his eyes remained closed.

"Oh shut it." I said harshly, "My brother's a bed hogging slob," I muttered.

Logan just kept on grinning.

"Would you _please_ wipe that grin off your face?" I was starting to feel the effects of sleep deprivation.

"Does it bother you?"

"Yes," I growled.

"Then just don't look. Or is that too hard for you?" Apparently, confessing his behavior hadn't done anything to his assish personality.

I growled again, "One, I could kick you out of the house right now and make you sleep outside, so watch it. Two, what if I like the sight of your abs." He and I both blushed here at my involuntary omission, "And three, I have an irrational fear of people smiling at me in the dark, so stop it."

He snorted, "Really? What the hell would cause that fear?"

"I don't know why I have it, only that I do. It's creepy." I finally got semi-comfortable in the chair and closed my eyes.

"Hmmm…" I noticed the grin was slowly receding.

A few minutes of silence passed and I thought maybe he was asleep.

Until he suddenly asked, "What do you do for fun?"

The question took me by surprise but I already had an answer, "Practice my fighting techniques. Kickboxing is especially fun. Oh and I like to target shoot with my bow."

"Anything nonviolent? Like what normal seventeen year olds do?"

I gave a short laugh, "I'm not normal."

"Tell me about it," I thought I heard him mumble before he said in a louder voice, "That's beside the point."

I thought for a moment, "I like to go to the movies, and I read."

"Oh."

"What about you? What do you do in your free time?"

"Read, volunteer at the nursing home, wrestle my dad, that sorta stuff."

"I hope you're not as smart with the old ladies as you are with me," I thought aloud.

He just laughed, "Nope. I reserve that for you."

"Humph, good to know." I yawned and my mind started to get fuzzy from lack of sleep.

"I think we should be friends," Logan proclaimed suddenly. "That way when our… feelings… do grow, it won't be that big a stretch," he finished awkwardly.

I thought about faking sleep so I didn't have to continue this conversation, but I had a nagging question. The kind that usually gets me in trouble. "Why did you tell me all that stuff anyway?"

Logan hesitated, "I… I just thought you had a right to know. You're as much a part of this as I am. And you would probably kick my ass if you found out I lied."

I gave a tired grunt, "Damn right I would."

"Kaine," Logan changed the topic, "Do you want the couch? It's probably more comfortable than the chair."

"Awww, chivalry _isn't _dead. I think I just might have to keep you around Mr. Danvers. But no thank you, I'll be fine right here." I could picture the blush running up his cheeks and almost laughed. As much as we tease each other, I think we're both kind of… shy about this stuff.

I had no idea what his response was, or if he even said anything because I collapsed into sleep.

Four things greeted me when I woke up the next morning:

Number one is that I woke up on the floor. Thinking back, I remember leaving the recliner for the more appealing, flatter floor.

Secondly was the sight of Logan on the couch above me, still shirtless. I'd never tire of that sight.

Third was the time; 6:30. As I put my head back onto the pillow, I remembered school. Then I saw the yellow Post-it note on the pillow by my head. It read:

_No school due to storm damage. We still have to work though –sigh-_

_~Dad_

I heaved a happy sigh and put my head back to the pillow again. Then I noticed the fourth thing.

The lilac smell.

Last time I smelled lilacs I was getting shot at, so I leaped from my makeshift bed and got ready to fight. There's nothing like an adrenaline kick to get you up and going in the morning; works better than caffeine.

"Logan!" I hissed.

I heard him moan and roll over.

"Logan!" I said a tad louder.

"What?" He groaned. Apparently, he wasn't a morning person either.

"Shh! They're here."

That got his attention. He rolled up and out of the couch and crouched next to me.

"Smell that?" I asked.

He mutely nodded his head and motioned for me to get behind him. Of course, I didn't. Then he started to stalk forward and I stayed beside him. We went down the hallway and found the scent was strongest in front of mine and William's room.

Without thinking, I threw open Willy's door and dodged out the way in case someone was waiting for me. Behind me, I heard Logan do the same with my door where his sister was.

When I looked into William's room I just stared stupidly at his bed where he should have been. Instead of my annoying, pain in the ass brother, all that was on his red bed sheets was a pool of blood and a tuft of dirty blonde hair.

I screamed.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

I was tackled to the ground before the scream completely left my mouth. I landed with a hard _Oof! _and looked up to see Logan had been the one to sack me. Then I looked behind him to see a familiar looking black arrow sticking into the wall directly where my left shoulder would have been. I _really_ hope these people don't convert to guns anytime soon.

Logan got off of me and let me return to my feet. I was too concerned with what was on William's bed to thank Logan for saving my life. Besides, by the time this was all over, I had a feeling there'd be a lot more thanking to do.

"Where is he?" Kat asked worriedly from behind me.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" I snapped without regret and walked over to his bed, I crouched to where I was closer to the evidence. The blood was my brother's as was the tuft of blondish hair. "Oh god, oh god, oh god." I moaned. My brother could be dead right now. I rocked back on my heals and pushed my messy hair out of my eyes mechanically.

Kat and Logan brushed past me and examined the blood, they whispered to each other but I was too shocked to care what they said. My brother might be dead. _My_ brother might be dead. My super-analytical, pain in the ass, temperamental, scientific kid brother was missing.

Logan squatted down to my level as Kat continued to look around the bed. His blue eyes connected with my green ones, "Kaine," He said softly, "William isn't dead. Not yet anyway. There isn't enough blood on the sheets for that."

I understood what Logan was saying at once: If Willy wasn't dead, than he was out there somewhere. That only made me feel slightly better, but at least it gave me a purpose, enough that I pushed myself off the ground and tried to snap myself out of my self-induced pity party.

I had to find him. And kill those flowery smelling bastards in the process.

I didn't notice earlier that the window stood open, just like in the movies when someone is kidnapped and the white lacy curtains are waving in the breeze. That must've been where the arrow had come in from.

"What do we do?" I asked quietly. I had processed what was happening, but I was still trying to grasp the situation.

Kat issued orders, "Logan, use your nose and see if William's or the lilac scent trails go anywhere. Be careful, the archer might still be out there. Kaine, you and I are going to make phone calls." Logan and I nodded and then Kat grabbed my arm and towed me into the living room.

She sat me on the couch and looked firmly in my eyes, "Kaine, William is going to be okay. The Pack will help you anyway we can. Understand?" I managed a nod. "Good. Call your paren- better make that your dad, and tell him only that you and William both have gone back with Logan and I, no need to worry them quite yet. Tell him you'll be home sometime tonight. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am." I joked weakly. Kat was like a drill sergeant under pressure. I on the other hand was flipping between going into trauma-induced shock and running outside and kicking someone's ass. Rather it be the lilac bastards or an innocent bystander.

"Okay," Kat continued, "I'm calling my parents and telling them what happened. When we're done, we are gonna call the Russians."

We both flipped out our cells and, thank god, noticed we finally had a signal. I dialed Dad's work number and waited for him to pick up. I let out a relieved sigh when I got the machine. I hadn't been sure I could lie to him about something this big in person. I left a semi-shaky message that said Willy and I'd be home later from the Danvers. Then I hung up.

I waited for Kat to finish up with her parents. She paced back and forth between the small coffee table and the kitchen doorway. She talked low, but I could hear most of the conversation.

"No mom, we're all fine. We didn't want to drive home in the storm so Kaine told us to stay here for the night. We had no signal anywhere to call."

Elena's voice came through, "At least you're safe. Why do you sound so upset, Katherine?"

Kat looked at me sideways then resumed her pacing, "Kaine's brother, William, he was kidnapped sometime last night. We smelled those damn lilacs again and Kaine opened his door, nearly got shot- _again-_ and then she noticed he was gone and all that was left was some blood and hair."

Elena asked softly, "Is he dead?"

Kat shook her head even though her mother couldn't see her, "No, not right now. There wasn't enough blood for that. Logan's following a scent now. We're about to call the Russian Pack to see what they can tell us. How soon can you get here?"

I heard keys jingling on Elena's end, "I don't know, soon? There are trees down everywhere. We'll be there as soon as possible. Be safe."

"Okay," Kat hung up.

Kat looked at me and said, "Dial their number," A little quieter, only to herself she said, "I only hope they know something."

I had dialed and within two rings I heard Roman's voice call out the Russian hello, "Zdravstvuite?"

"Roman," I realized how my voice trembled and made sure to continue on stronger, "It's Kaine again."

"Kaine! Good to hear you again. What do I owe the pleasure?" He asked warmly. He definitely didn't sound like he had signed mine or my brother's death warrant. At least we can cross him off the suspect list. That left us with… no one.

I sighed and answered, "We've been having some, ahh, _problems_ here lately," Understatement.

"What kind of problems?" Roman asked, sincerely sounding worried.

I chuckled drily, "I've become a human archery target, that's what. Even on the Danvers property. And my brother has been kidnapped."

He gasped, "Kaine! Who doing this? You find brother yet?"

"I was hoping you could give me some clues to the first question, and as for the second we're working on it."

Roman paused, "Are you implying I sent assassins?" His voice got softer, more deadly.

"No!" I realized that must be what it sounded like to him, "Not at all! I only was hoping that you could remember something that would help us find William and the lilac bastards." That's what I had taken to calling them.

"I have no information more than I said-" He stopped himself and continued on a different course, "Wait! You say lilacs?"

"Yes, that's what the people doing this smell like," I said wearily.

"Your mother always smell like lilacs!"

I looked at Kat who until now had been looking out the window. Now she looked at me with wide eyes. "What does that mean?" I asked Roman and Kat at the same time.

"I not know. But fact sticks out to me now." Roman sounded as if he was searching his memory for anything else.

"Is that all you can tell me?" While I appreciated the information it didn't tell me much. I knew my mother was dead, and even if she wasn't, I doubted she would be trying to kill me and my adoptive brother with a bow.

"I afraid so, I sorry I cannot provide more." Roman sighed.

I almost said good bye before I thought of another possibility, "Roman, did you tell anyone about me? Anyone at all?"

He considered the question, "No, just me, and my beta, Sasha."

I looked at Kat to see where to proceed. She shook her head and mouthed _don't pursue it._

I nodded in understanding, though I was curious to see where she was going with it, "Okay, thank you for your help, Roman."

"You welcome, Kaine. If you need extra wolves, no hesitate to call me. I will always help you." Roman paused, "I sincerely hope you find you brother."

"Me too," I breathed. "Goodbye Roman." I hung up.

"Kat," I started, "Why didn't you want me to ask about Sasha?"

She looked back out the window, "Politics and psychology." Kat said simply and walked past me to open the door.

Before I could ask what the hell she was getting at, Elena, Clay, Jeremy and Logan walked through the front door.

Elena looked at me with sympathy in her eyes, she didn't stop and instead continued down the hall following Kat. Clay also followed, only his head was set on a swivel as he checked the place out, his head sometimes dipped as he tried to catch a scent. Jeremy followed last and his head was set straight ahead. The only reason I knew he knew where he was was because his nostrils occasionally flared and his head would slightly tilt when he heard something.

I stood up to follow them and Logan appeared at my side.

"Are you okay?" He whispered.

I nodded, "For now. I just hope we can find him." That was as inadequate description.

Logan nodded agreement. He looked down the hallway further to where his Pack was. Then he pulled my arm to stop me, "What are we going to tell them?"

"About what?" I asked stupidly.

Logan gave me a look, "About our situation?"

With everything that was going on, I had totally forgotten about our… relationship. I shrugged, "I don't know. At this point, I've got other things on my mind," I said it truthfully, not cruelly. Logan understood what I meant.

"Okay, I'll take care of it then." He concluded. We walked forward again.

Everyone was crowded in William's room. I was once again overcome with grief at the realization that my brother was gone.

Clay was sniffing the window sill and then he jumped out and walked towards the thin tree line. His head still swiveled around the yard. His boots sloshed in the mud from the storm last night. The mud was spattering the back of his pant legs and the hem of his shirt.

I turned back to what was happening inside. Elena sniffed the sheets and consulted with Kat about something. I thought I heard the name 'Sasha' and a couple words like 'mole', 'trail', and 'kidnapper'. They were really good at keeping their voices quiet.

Across the hall in my room, Logan and Jeremy had their heads together in a heated discussion. I didn't hear anything other than 'her' several times, but I figured they were talking about me.

I stood in the hallway looking like a lost duck for a few minutes before everyone was being herded back into the living room.

"Logan," Elena asked, "Did you get anywhere with that scent?"

Logan shook his head, "Not really. William's trail ends at the sidewalk where I guess he was put into a vehicle. The lilacs stop halfway there."

"So obviously," I started pacing the room, "the lilac bastard," I received a couple of meaningful looks so I changed my vocabulary, "I mean _person_ can control their scent. So when they do smell like flowers, they're doing it to taunt us." I looked at the couch where the senior Pack members sat, "I assume you haven't seen anything like that?"

Everyone shook their head but Jeremy. He had this far-off look in his eyes. Then he spoke up, "I remember Jaime talking to Paige on the phone. Paige said something about a new grimoire her and Lucas had found. Paige said there's a spell in it that covers up scents. Jaime volunteered us to test it."

Elena looked at Kat, "Katherine, call Paige and Lucas, ask them about it." Kat left to do the task.

"Paige is a witch and Lucas is a sorcerer, right?" I asked. I thought I remembered Kat telling me that after my first round of Changes.

Logan answered, "Right."

"Well then," I was starting to piece together what little bit of information we had, "Whoever is doing this either is or has the help of a witch or sorcerer."

Elena nodded.

"Okay… Have any of us seen this person do anything werewolfy? Like excess strength or speed?" I continued on my train of thought.

Clay responded, "They had to be pretty quiet and fast to take your brother out of here with three of you here the whole time."

"Right," I murmured, "Also, unless they drugged Willy they'd have to overpower him. And he puts up a decent fight."

Elena spoke up, "His blood was clean, he wasn't drugged. But the hair was left there intentionally, it wasn't an accident. So the one doing the dirty work quickly gained the upper hand."

"When I was on that run getting shot at, I didn't hear him at all until he was shooting. Also, he kept pace with me the whole time I ran."

"Well than that means it's either a werewolf or a vampire." Elena deduced.

"Vampire?" I asked, Kat hadn't told me much about vampire's other than that they do eventually die.

Elena nodded, "They don't leave a scent at all, but they don't have any extra strength. The kidnapper may have bit your brother to knock him unconscious. I don't know how they would have kept pace with you in the forest though." She looked at Clay and muttered, "I can't believe we didn't think about that earlier."

"Wait," I interrupted frantically, "A vampire may have bit my brother? What does that mean?" Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with visions of William turning into a vampire with the long fangs and slicked back hair.

"He won't turn into a vampire if that's what you mean." Elena assured me, "Vampire's have a sedative in their saliva. If they bit him, he'd only fall asleep, nothing drastic."

Relieved, I summed up our discussion, "So the lilac people are either a werewolf with the help of a sorcerer or witch, or they're a vampire."

Kat came back in the room and returned her cell phone to her pocket. "Cross off possibility number one. Lucas said the spell doesn't work on people. It's limited to inanimate objects, which makes it virtually useless. Lucas sounded very disappointed. "

"So that narrows it down to every vampire in the world." We came so far.

Logan disagreed, "Why aren't we thinking of the obvious possibility?" He asked everyone in general.

"And that would be?" Kat asked.

"That mutt scientist. He's the one that started all this to begin with. I'm sure he would want Kaine back if he had the chance." Logan explained.

"Then why wouldn't have he taken her back years ago?" Clay questioned.

"The mutt might've lost track of her. Since she's Changed a lot more people know about her, maybe he knows now too." Logan retorted.

"Okay, even if that was true," I started, "why would he want Willy?" That was my main concern at this point.

Everyone thought about the question. Kat answered, "Hostage or blackmail?"

"So if I don't give myself up than he'll do something to my brother?" Ultimatums suck.

Elena nodded, "Sounds like a mutt."

"Well then shouldn't he contact me?"

Elena nodded again, "Yes, probably anytime now."

"So what? We wait until then?" I wasn't good at waiting. Patience definitely was not a virtue I possessed.

"What else can we do? Maybe when he calls he'll slip up and tell us something that will give us a lead." Elena aimed pointed looks at my clothing, then at Logan's and Kat's. "Right now though, you three change your clothes and we'll go home. Kaine, you're coming too."

After the events of this morning, I think it was excusable that I was still in my pajamas. At least to me it was. Logan went into the bathroom (it was an unspoken rule that no one was to go into William's room) to change into his clothes from yesterday. I changed in my room into a clean pair of jeans, a Hartford Lions t-shirt from my old school and a white sports jacket.

Logan and I returned to the living room while Kat changed in my room. Elena and Clay were outside doing something. I perched on the edge of the recliner and Logan sat on the end of the couch closest to me. Jeremy- on the other end of the couch- silently appraised us with his dark eyes and I got the impression that he knew something.

I confirmed my suspicions when I very quietly asked Logan, though my gaze was firmly set on Jeremy, "You told him huh?"

Logan nodded.

"You gonna tell your parents?" I asked.

Logan shrugged, "Eventually."

I looked at Jeremy, he stared back. "So…," I began awkwardly, "You know…"

Jeremy nodded; his eyes took on a little twinkle, "Yes."

"Do you have any… thoughts… on the matter?" Beside me, Logan laughed softly.

The former Alpha shook his head, "It's not my place to have any. Although it does make sense if you're the only other female werewolf unrelated to Logan."

"Hmm…" I thought about what he said. Did that mean he approved of disapproved? Not that there was anything we could do about it either way.

Kat returned to the living room during my contemplation, and then Clay stuck his head in the front door. "Ready to go."

We headed outside. I got into my truck, Kat and Logan took the jeep back, and Jeremy, Elena, and Clay took a blue Sedan.

My radio was cranked to almost the highest as I listened to one of those pointless morning talk shows. What threw me off was that while my life seemed to be crumbling down around me, the world still went right on along. There were no cataclysmic weather patterns, no genocidal terrorist attacks, nothing other then an attempted homicide a few towns over. A jealous husband shot his cheating wife. As callous as it sounded, it wasn't my concern. Just like no one else seemed to care about what was happening in my life, except for a select few anyways.

I told myself that if I was going to have any emotional outbursts they best be done now in the privacy of my truck. Either I was still replenishing my tear reservoirs or I was too tired, but I didn't cry or anything. I was quite proud.

After the forty minute long drive, our train of vehicles finally pulled into the secluded driveway of Stonehaven. Behind the large house, bare leaved trees glittered with morning dew, temporarily blocking out all other thoughts. As I got out of the truck, I was tempted to just run straight for them and loose myself in the dense trees.

Then the reason for my visit came rushing back into my head like the snap of a rubber band. _William_. I had to get my little brother back. Blood relative or not, I loved him.

"You coming?" Kat called from the porch. I hadn't realized that I had been still staring at the woods.

I nodded and ran up the steps to catch the screen door. Before I walked into the well heated den of Stonehaven, I hadn't understood how cold it was outside. You could see your breath.

In the den, everyone was seating themselves. I sat on the floor, my back propped up against a wall. I watched as the kindling Clay had put on the fire caught. Small flames danced over the thin twigs.

Offhandedly, I wondered how many of Clay's students would think he was so brilliant or so gorgeous if they knew the truth about him. For that matter, how many of his colleges? I almost laughed as I pictured the faces of the lecture attendees as Clay ripped his shirt off and Changed. Anamorphic cultures indeed.

"He hasn't called," Elena snapped my trance with the statement, not a question.

I knew the kidnapper hadn't, but I checked anyway, "No." I thought of Willy in a small, dank cell- god knows where- getting tortured because of me, unable to call for help… "Wait!" I cried and jumped up, instantly getting everyone's attention. "Did any of you see his cell phone on his nightstand?" I looked everyone in the eyes. The Pack shook their collective heads.

Brimming with hope, I punched in William's number. He _always _kept his phone on the nightstand. I moved it once and he freaked out on me, saying he'd never be able to find it if anyone moved it.

A beep alerted me that someone had answered on the other line but it was silent. "Hello?" I said panicky.

"I'm surprised it took you this long, Kaine," a deep voice answered that raised goose bumps on my skin. "I thought I put more brains in your head than that." The man _tsked tsked._

"Where the hell is he?" The amount of steel in my voice surprised everyone, evident in the various faces that intently studied me and my phone.

I could hear the smile in the man's voice as he said, "It's such a cliché, but you sound exactly like your father did." Something in his voice was off, but the slight static on the phone made it unidentifiable.

My rage was smothering me, "Where is my brother?"

"Oh William's right here. Care to say hi?"

I heard rustling then a small voice, "Kaine? Oh, it hurts so bad," my brother whimpered and it almost broke my heart to hear him in such pain, but I was too angry.

The phone returned to the man, "See?"

If it was possible, my voice got even scarier, "I will hunt you down and kill you! Bastard! You Fucking Asshole!"

I would have gone on for much longer if the man hadn't cut me off, "There's your mom!" He sighed wistfully. "Your mother was a lovely woman," he sounded so sincere I almost gagged. "And Kaine, you don't have to hunt me, I'll _tell_ you where I am. All I want is you back. You were my finest creation."

I hurled a half-dozen more curses at him before I regained my ability to speak, "Or you'll kill him," I spat.

"No, no, no, Kaine. I'll try to recreate you. I'll experiment with your brother until I get another you, or he dies." Throughout this entire conversation not once did the mutt sound intentionally malicious, just so truthful it infuriated me.

The Pack hadn't said a word, they only stared.

"Where the fuck are you?" I growled so loud it hurt my ears.

"The last place your Russian friends would look, with the United Kingdom Pack." He chuckled, "In fact, I've even met Clayton, Elena, and Jeremy Danvers."

The three in question sat slack jawed.

My blood boiled, "They _let _you do this?"

He laughed, "They need new recruits too, I'm providing them with the best there is."

"Oh my God, you sick bastard!" I shouted, "How the hell can you stand yourself?"

"Kaine," he suddenly sounded tired, "I've answered enough questions in order for you to make your decision. What is it?"

_An unbelievably stupid one, _I thought. "What will happen to me if I do come?"

"Kaine!" He sounded genuinely surprised, "You're considering _not_ coming? What about your brother?"

Of course I wasn't really considering it, but I was going to pump this mutt for as much information as he'd give me. "What'll happen?" I demanded.

"I'll study you, of course!" He chuckled at my ignorance. "Now what'll it be?"

"I'm coming," I gritted out. None of the Pack seemed surprised at my choice, but many of them wore fierce or calculating expressions. "Where are you, asshole?"

"That's what I thought," he said smugly and I wanted to give him the most painful death possible, then call up a necromancer to raise him so I can do it all again. "I'm in Ireland, at the United Kingdom Pack headquarters. Your friends should know where that is."

He paused briefly and continued, "And before you or anyone else gets it in their head to trick me, know that my Pack is ready to fight you and defend me. I hear you look much like your mother. If that's true, I'd hate to see that pretty face of yours marred in battle. Goodbye Kaine." He hung up.

I stared at the tiny phone in my hand for what seemed like eternity. How could something so innocent looking be the bringer of such horrible, life changing news?

Logan suddenly broke out of the shocked silence the whole room was caught in and roared, "That bastard!"

My sentiments exactly. I was just so angry, so incredibly furious that I dropped to all fours, and the cell phone skidded under the couch. I knew I was Changing, yet I couldn't stop it. My rage was feeding it, making it unstoppable.

"Get her outside!" I heard Elena shout.

I felt someone pick me up, from the scent, it was Clay. I struggled in his arms even though I didn't mean to. Soon, I felt cool, dewy grass beneath me and bush branches scratch me as my body racked with shudders.

I tried to calm myself down, but it wasn't working.

_That sick, stupid, sadistic mutt! God damn him!_

Before I knew it, I was panting in wolf form. My clothes were shredded around me and I internally winced as I realized my favorite jeans were among them. I stuck my head out of the bushes Clay had deposited me in and saw that Kat sat with her back to me. I crept up to her and nudged her with my muzzle.

She turned to look at me, "You alright?"

I shook my shaggy head and stared at her like she'd gone crazy. I mentally shouted, _No I'm not fucking alright! What the hell do you think?_

She seemed to have gathered what I was thinking. Kat nodded with her head to the house and grinned, "They're calling in the army."

XxXxXxXxX

I quickly- well as fast as I could- Changed back to my human self. "Kat?" I called out.

"Yeah?" She responded.

"I need some clothes."

"Right, almost forgot. Incoming!" She yelled.

A pair of jeans that were slightly too short and a perfectly baggy hoodie landed at my feet. I swiftly pulled them on and stepped out. Me and Kat walked together up to the house.

"So what's this army you speak of?" I asked her as we stepped through the back sliding door.

Kat considered my question, "Well the rest of the Pack for one, and depending on our plan, maybe some other people."

I snorted, "What plan? The only plan we're doing is the one where I go to Ireland and trade myself for my brother. I can handle some pokes and prods from some scientist if it means getting him back."

Kat just gave me a look as we walked into the den.

Elena must have heard my statement because when we walked in she looked at me and said, "I'll admit, we were thinking about letting you do just that." Her expression was completely unreadable.

While it kind of hurt to know these people would knowingly send me off to something like that, I was also happy that I wasn't going to have to fight their decision to keep me from going. "Okay then, if you'd be kind enough to please give me a ride to the air-"

"No!" Logan burst out, "You can't let her walk to her death!"

Clay raised an eyebrow at his son's behavior, "And why can't we? She seems more than happy with that choice."

"Because," Logan stared at his mother and father defiantly, "she's my mate."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

As soon as that tidbit left Logan's mouth, everything went silent. And I mean _everything. _From the werewolves to the _whooshing_ of the heater, even the birds that had been blissfully singing seemed to stop.

Elena looked stunned, her jaw hung just a tad askew. Her eyes were unfocused as if she was just decked.

Clayton was… furious and empathetic all at once. His eyes clearly said it was my fault that everything had happened and that his Pack was in danger. They also told me everything had just gotten a hell of a lot more complicated. His face and body language, however, told me that he understood what was going on. Maybe he remembered his early relationship with Elena?

"You have to admit, Clay, Elena, it makes sense," Jeremy interrupted whatever they were thinking about. "Kaine's the only female werewolf unrelated to Logan," he finished softly.

Finally, they snapped out of their respective trances. Now in control of their expressions, Clay glared at me almost as much as when I first met him. Elena was the one, now, that looked empathetic.

"I think we should take a walk," she commanded me.

Before I could nod, Clay and Logan were both on their feet. "I'm coming!" they both shouted, then started to explain all at once.

Logan reasoned, "What if that mutt still has someone watching her?"

At the same time Clay said, "We still don't know if we can trust her," with a nod towards me.

Elena smiled wryly, "I think we can manage Logan. Clay, _I _trust her, okay?"

Both men huffed and sat down, obeying their Alpha, wife, and… mom.

Kat muttered, "Men," and walked off.

Elena touched my arm and guided me outside where we took up positions on damp patio furniture.

"Kaine," she began awkwardly, looking at anything but me, "I know it's been… _hard_ for you the last few weeks. I remember when I first became part of this world, and I understand what you're going through, truly. Helping you with this though, that would put my Pack in danger."

I nodded. I expected nothing less than total family commitment from Elena.

She grimaced, "More danger than even _we're _used to. Between the mutt and the U.K. Pack, who knows what they can do?" She took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes. I braced, preparing myself for a field trip to Europe by myself. "I just don't want to be the person who ends up deciding for the whole Pack rather we take the chance or not for an almost complete stranger. This is why I called an emergency Pack meeting to vote."

This information took me by surprise. I definitely didn't take the Pack for a democracy.

Quietly, I said, "I understand. When will they arrive?"

"It would take too long to get everyone here. I called all of them and they'll get back to me when they decide," She responded.

I nodded, made sense.

"Although," she continued, "I haven't told them about the latest development." Elena eyed me appraisingly.

I resisted the urge to glare at her as she scrutinized me. Instead, I crossed my arms over my chest.

Her eyes softened up, "Kaine, do you know what a mate even is?"

I nodded unsurely, "After my first Change, Kat told me it was a soul mate thing for werewolves."

"Yes," Elena confirmed, "that's part of it. It makes you so frustrated when you can't do anything but love them even when they piss you off," her eyes got dreamy, "but it's the best feeling you'll ever have. You'll want to protect that person- Logan-," she mildly glared at me like I had a choice, "with your life, and they'll reciprocate."

I stared at her, unsure what to say, "Sounds… intense." I finally offered.

"Don't worry," She assured me, "we raised Logan with manners. At least, I tried to, Clay didn't help." She chuckled, "Point is, he won't hurt you."

I growled, "I'd like to see him try."

The corners of Elena's mouth twitched up, and she laughed a little. "Anyway, I'll send out a text to the Pack. This will most definitely affect their decisions." She stood.

I blinked, "You can text?" My parents were lucky they knew enough about cells to hang up on telemarketers.

She smiled, "I should rephrase that, I'll have _Kat_ send out a text. Clay, Jeremy, Karl, and I don't see the need to learn. Although I do hear Hope is trying to teach Karl." She sighed, "What I wouldn't give to see that."

I really didn't know what she was talking about, but it didn't sound important so I let it slide. She opened the sliding door and stepped inside, I followed. Both Clay and Logan looked relaxed when we reentered the den.

Kat was hanging up the phone, "Nick and Antonio say they'll help. Uncle Antonio said, quote, 'I liked her spunk'" Logan snorted and I looked at him pointedly before Kat continued, "And then Nick said he'd hadn't had an adventure in a while so he's in."

Clay sighed and shook his head disparagingly at Nick's reasoning.

Elena gestured to Kat and they left the room together.

I stood there looking lost for a minute while everyone else (Logan, Clay, and Jeremy) looked at me silently.

"Kaine," Jeremy said, "Call the Russian Pack and ask for their assistance in this matter."

I stared at him confusedly, "But you don't even know if you're going to help me."

Jeremy smiled the first actual smile I'd ever seen on him, "Yes we will. Elena won't take no for an answer, supposing someone does say no. And even in the event you do go alone," Logan scowled at that, "you'll still need all the help you can get, including the Russians."

"Umm, okay," I said rather stupidly.

"Clay," Jeremy ordered next, "Make flight arrangements to Belfast, Ireland."

With only a slight disapproving look, Clay grabbed the phone from the cradle and walked towards the kitchen.

Jeremy looked back towards me indicatively, and then I remembered I was supposed to be making an international call. I nodded silently and took my cell up to the guest bedroom I had stayed in.

After two rings a young boy's voice answered, "Zdravstvuite?"

"Hello?" I replied unsurely because I was suddenly questioning rather or not I had the right number.

"Oh! American!" the boy exclaimed in only lightly accented English.

"Is Roman there?"

Without answering, the boy yelled to someone on his line of the phone, "Papa!"

I heard shuffling, and someone said 'American' and then Roman's familiar voice, "Hello."

"Hi, it's Kaine." I wondered if he was getting tired of hearing from me.

"Ah, I wonder if you call with any news," he grunted, and then I heard a child's squeal (probably the boy's). "Good news I hope?"

I sighed, "No such luck. Look, you told me to call if I needed help, is that offer still on the table?"

"Dmitri, go play with one of your uncles," Roman said to the boy. "Yes, that deal on table now. What do you need help with?"

I exhaled in relief, "The United Kingdom Pack, they took William. They want me to trade myself for him. The mutt scientist did it. He joined the Pack and got their support. Someone told them where I was, and they took William. The whole Pack is behind him!" I was started to get hysterical as it all set in.

"Ah, they always use kidnapping situations." He paused then continued, "What do American Pack plan?"

I sighed, "Nothing yet, they're doing a vote on rather or not they should help me. I don't blame them; they don't owe me anything and hardly know me." I sat down on the bed and started to pick at the blue comforter in distraction.

"Humph! You mate with son, they owe it as family obligation to help you!" Roman huffed.

I suddenly stopped playing with a loose thread as I comprehended what he had said, "Roman, how'd you know that?"

"Know what?" he asked confusedly.

"About me and Logan," my voice rang with suspicion.

"You told me," he answered gruffly.

"No, no I didn't," I insisted.

"But…" he faltered and was probably running a memory check, "someone… Sasha! He told me!" I just knew he wasn't lying about it either, which made me incredibly worried.

"Then how'd he know?" I was starting to shake. If this Sasha knew this, then he probably knew everything, which wouldn't have stopped him from telling the mutt. Of course, I was jumping to conclusions, I didn't even know Sasha, why would he have it out for me?

"I, I not know," Roman seemed genuinely confused. "I talk to him. Now," he changed the topic abruptly, "where you flying in at?"

I went along with the topic change even though I wasn't too happy about it, "Dublin, Ireland. Apparently, it's near the UK headquarters."

If it's possible, I could hear him nod on the other line, "Very well. We meet you at airport. We find plan to get brother back, with or without Americans." He seemed very final on that, as if nothing but death would change his mind.

"Okay. Thank you so much Roman. Goodbye."

He hung up and I followed suit. I sat on the bed and wrestled with my emotions. I didn't know rather to cry (for a number of reasons such as frustration, sadness, and relief) or get up and punch something (for just about the same reasons). For a while I just sat there staring blankly at a small painting on the wall farthest from the bed. I really even didn't comprehend what it pictured. Finally, I felt satisfied in my emotional state to regain my hard mask and walk back downstairs.

The scene in the den was pretty funny. Kat was on the phone with somebody who was clearly frustrating her- her face was almost purple- and shouting such things like, "Make up your damn mind Karl!" and, "Goddamn, it's not that hard to decide!" and, "Yes, I'm sure they mated! They haven't stopped making googly eyes at each other since they met!" This comment made me blush.

Clayton, acting much like his daughter, was also shouting at the phone, "I told you, eleven tickets to Dublin! What's so fucking hard about that?" His face was also a peculiar shade of purple. I couldn't help but feel bad for the unfortunate person on the other end of that call. Clay could be _scary_.

Elena was running around frantically pushing aside papers and books on the desk and every bookshelf in the room. She was muttering something like, "Passports, passports, you have to be around here somewhere! Where the hell are you?" She moved to a different desk drawer, "Logan! Get your ass in here and help me!"

Logan wasn't to be found.

And of course, there was Jeremy. He sat in one of the wing backed chairs in the midst of the chaos with a small amused smile on his face. His legs were crossed and he was sipping something from a small glass cup. I almost laughed at his calm demeanor.

"Ahem," I coughed to politely get everyone's attention, "the Russians are in."

"Great," Logan said as he walked in with Morgan at his side.

I looked at Morgan and mentally wondered how he got here so fast. He noticed my gaze and smiled, "I only live a half an hour away." He looked at where Elena was standing at the desk, "And I was planning on coming here anyway, I had something to tell you."

Elena stopped her paper shuffling and looked up at Morgan, "What was it?"

"There's been some… suspicious stuff going on around my place. I think it's a vampire, the police have found two bodies drained of just enough blood to kill them, but the wounds were already closed. There's lots of panic."

I looked up at the mention of vampire. That was the one race highest on our list of suspects for people who had been spying on me. Looking around, I noticed everyone else must have been having the same idea because they were all looking at me. "What are we going to do?"

Clay spoke up, "It's no use tracking down the vamp, they already know where you are. You're going to Belfast so they have no reason to keep watching you. I bet the vampire is moving on now."

Elena nodded in agreement. I didn't nod, but I knew he was probably right.

Morgan spoke again, "Anyway, when I got your call, I figured I might as well come out here early. Oh, and I'm in."

I smiled.

Kat had finally hung up the phone, "So is Karl. _Finally._"

Jeremy looked at Clay, "And the tickets?"

"Booked," he growled, most likely reliving the conversation with the poor airport worker.

"What now?" I questioned.

Elena sighed, "I guess we wait for Reece and Noah to call in."

I looked at Kat, "Where's Noah?"

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"Doesn't he live with the Sorrentino's? Which means he already knows the situation?"

Kat sighed, "Unfortunately, Noah has also picked up the habits of the youngest Sorrentino. He's probably passed out at some girl's house contracting STD's as we speak."

"Oh." Awkward pause, "Oh! What time is it?" I asked even as I fished my phone from my pocket.

"5:07," answered Elena.

"Shit!" I looked around frantically, "I told my parents me and William would be home by the time they got off work. What do I tell them?"

"Calm down!" Kat snapped. "Call them and tell them that you're coming with us to Ireland for Pack business. Tell them William is coming with us on a mini vacation. Promise them it's not dangerous." Noticing my skepticism, she added, "Yeah, they'll probably figure out it's a lie sooner or later, but for now all we need is for them to not nag."

"Right, sounds good." I could only hope that when we got back Willy really would be with us.

Elena, me and Logan (he surprisingly wasn't a bad cook) made dinner. Mostly because we we're the only ones who could cook without burning and or unintentionally poisoning the food. We made more than enough for the U.S. Army, but just enough for us.

I was a nervous wreck throughout it all. I couldn't not think of William, and what would happen if we didn't manage to save him. And even though it was clear the majority of the votes were for going to help, I kept wondering what Reece and Noah would say. Also, I absently wondered if Alex got a vote in the matter.

At one point, I dropped a pan of bread on Logan's foot in a moment of distraction.

"Shit!" Logan hopped around on one foot dramatically.

"Oh! Sorry!" I bent down to get the bread, but Logan had the same idea, so we hit heads like in one of those cheesy romance movies. But before I could say so, the phone started to ring. I shot back up to my full height and couldn't help the rising hope that a Pack member would be on the other line agreeing to go. I just hated sitting around here doing nothing.

The ringing stopped and Clay's voice echoed in the suddenly silent house, "Hello?" Pause, "No." The phone was put back down on the table, "Telemarketer."

A sigh escaped my lips, what do these people not understand about urgent? I knelt back down to pick up the forgotten bread. Logan joined me on the floor and began to pick up crumbs with his fingers.

"It'll be okay," he murmured, "We'll go no matter what. We're just waiting to see how many of us are coming."

I nodded, "thanks," I whispered and stood back up. He did the same.

I looked around for the garbage can and noticed the looks Elena and Clay (who was now sitting on a bar stool) were giving us. I immediately felt like I was five again and had been caught stealing extra food from the pantry.

I might have blushed as I threw the ruined bread away. I really hope not though.

As Kat, Logan, and me were taking trays of food to the sun room table, the front door opened. I peeked my head out the doorway and saw Nick, Antonio, and Noah walk in. I know that when I saw them I smiled so hard it hurt. Yeah, sure I knew they had already said yes, but actually seeing them made me so happy. I turned to the other two and said, "I think we'll need more food."

"No need," Antonio's loud voice said from the hallway, "we just ate on the way."

Kat and Logan also smiled at the arrival of their… uncles? I wasn't sure just what they knew Nick and Antonio as. Nick came into the sunroom followed by Noah, then Antonio who was whispering to Jeremy- low enough that even with my super hearing I couldn't hear what they said.

Nick walked over to Kat and gave her a hug that lifted her off the ground, and then gave Logan a man hug thing where they shake hands first. He turned towards me and tried to look stern, but I really don't think that was in his nature because he broke down and gave me huge smile and a wink (which I thought was completely unnecessary).

"So we're here to save your brother," Nick stated.

I nodded. I don't know why it's taken me this long to figure out, but I don't talk much.

"Even though he's not really related to you, you're willing to get us all killed to save him." His face was blank, so I had no idea what made him say that.

Even so, I felt my temper rising, "Look, you guys don't have to come. I'd be more than happy to just get on a plane now and trade myself in. Really, I have no problem with that." Either I growled or Logan did, one of us certainly did though.

Nick tilted his head and his eyes showed curiosity, "Then why aren't you already gone?"

I nodded my head towards Logan in answer, "_Someone_ won't let me." This time, I _know_ Logan growled.

Nick laughed, "No, I don't suppose he would. And Kaine, I'm just kidding, I would love to help you. I was just trying to see how far I could go before he," he pointed to Logan, "would jump me." He turned around, "I'm guessing not much longer."

I slept over at their house on the couch, since Nick and Antonio were in the guest bedroom. Noah was bunking with Logan. I wasn't sure where Morgan was sleeping.

For most of the night, I lay staring at the dying fire from earlier. I wasn't sure rather my conscious or my body was preventing me from actually falling asleep. It didn't really matter though because at about 3:45 I was still awake. As the fire finally went out, I heard footsteps padding around the kitchen.

Being the paranoid freak I was, I slipped out from under the warm blankets and stalked out of the den toward the kitchen. Yeah, it was probably just one of the houseguests getting a late night snack, but if found that vampire out there, it was going down, fangs and all. After what it did to Willy, I wasn't even going to wait for its name.

Almost to my disappointment, it was Logan.

"Why are you skulking around the house at this ungodly hour?" he asked without turning around.

I sighed and straightened up, "Couldn't sleep, you?"

He turned around to face me. In his hand he had a huge sandwich which he shook at me, "Growing wereboy's gotta eat."

"Ahh," I sat down at the counter on a high stool. We just stared at each other for a moment before he spoke up, "You should get to sleep, we leave for the airport at 6:00"

I ignored the comment and focused on the granite counter top, "Do you think we can actually do it?"

He finished the last bite of sandwich, "Yes."

I looked up to find him suddenly a lot closer than were he was a moment before, "Are you just saying that?"

He sat up at the stool across from me and leaned forward. All of a sudden, I was very aware of the thin tank top I was wearing, and the fact that Logan had no shirt on. "Would I lie to you?"

I shrugged, "To make me feel better, yes."

He grinned a little and I knew I was right, then his beautiful smile disappeared, "But I'm not lying now. Trust me, my parents wouldn't have agreed to help unless there was at least a fifty-fifty chance of winning."

"Do they even have a plan yet?"

"They're working on it, listen," he whispered.

Sure enough, if I listened really hard, I could make out faint murmurs from upstairs.

I took my eyes off the ceiling and looked back into his incomprehensively beautiful blue eyes. "What do you think we should do?"

He looked calculating, "Well, if we had a cloning machine-"

I punched him before he could continue, "I'm serious! My brother's life is on the line here!"

He looked like that punch had crushed him and then rubbed the spot where I hit him, "You hit hard for a girl."

I grinned, "What do you expect, I'm a genetically mutated werewolf. I'd be a losey weregirl if I couldn't hit hard."

We both just sat there grinning like idiots at each other for way too long for my taste (though I couldn't stop to save my life). Logan finally pulled his gaze away, "We really should get to sleep. We're going to have to get up early tomorrow."

I must have looked disgusted at the thought because then he added, "Don't look so upset, just think, you'll get to see my beautiful face bright and early."

I snorted playfully, "Oh, I can only count the minutes." I leaned back and stretched my arms, and then got off the stool.

Logan, being the gentleman that he is, told me he'd escort me to the den. "Although," he added, "I really just want to get away from Noah as long as possible."

I looked at him quizzically, "You don't like him?"

He shrugged, "It's not that, it's just that all he does is pine over Kat, and he's like ten years older than her!" he grimaced.

I grinned, "Big brother getting overprotective?"

He just gave me a 'duh' look and stopped in front of the den doorway. I walked over to the couch and sat down, pulling the blankets up around me. "Night," I whispered.

He smiled, "Good night."

The plane ride was terrible. The space was cramped, the air smelled like sweaty people, and my butt was sore after only three hours. And then, not that I would _ever_ tell anyone, but on top of my worry for William, a constant nagging in the back of my head kept replaying all the horror stories I had heard about 9/11. Sure, it had happened before I had even been born, but still, I was constantly reminded about it whenever the anniversary came around.

I sat in a window seat, Kat sat next to me, and then Logan in the aisle. The rest of the Pack was scattered around the plane, because even with Clay's charm and violence towards the ticket worker we hadn't been able to secure eleven seats in the same part of the plane.

We were now somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, and the next time we stopped it would be in the airport in Belfast. The Russian Pack was already scheduled to meet us there, where we would take a car (actually _many_ cars) to a hotel where we would then plan. A lot.

Kat and Logan alternated between playing those kid games like paper, scissors, rock and watching the movie that was showing. Something with a very dreamy Orlando Bloom. I sat there reading the book I had brought.

By the time our plane finally landed, I couldn't feel anything below my waist and I had finished my book an hour ago. As we unloaded, I bumped into somebody who was milling around the exit. He was tall with a stocky build. He had reddish hair and blue eyes, he was actually pretty handsome. But that wasn't what interested me. No, that would be the fact that he didn't smell. And no, I don't mean he didn't smell bad, I mean he didn't smell at all.

He must have seen the recognition in my eyes because he took off like a rocket. And of course, I followed him. Now if we were in an open field, or the woods, or really anywhere there wasn't moving people, I'm sure I would have tackled him in an instant. But of course, I was in an airport, and after about thirty seconds of sprinting, I was receiving glares from travelers, air port security, and some big guys who had suddenly taken to following me.

Before I could slow down though, I burst through a door that the vampire had just gone through. Just as I heard the door click behind me, I felt big, strong hands grasp my arms and a cloth was under my nose.

I remember thinking, _Of course, I hadn't seen that vampire by coincidence, it was completely planned._

And it was then- I think- that I passed out.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

When I woke up sometime later, I was strapped laying down into the backseat of a big SUV and gagged loosely. The only three people I could see were strangers, but they smelled like werewolves. For a moment, I couldn't help but hope that they were the Russians and that this was all some bizarre Russian Werewolf initiation ceremony.

And then I saw the vampire from the airport in the driver's seat. He must have felt my glare and looked at me through the rearview mirror. He smiled apologetically, and I knew (as well as I'm sure he did) that the restraints were all that held me back from ripping his head off. The vampire told his werewolf counterparts, "She's awake."

One of the three werewolves just grunted and went back to studying the landscape out the passenger window. Mutt #2 looked at me curiously, but then he saw my glare and suddenly found an interest in his lap. And of course, the insolent one of the bunch was positioned right behind me in the last row of seats.

"Hello." He said in a British accent. I couldn't turn far enough to see anything but his hands which were draped over the seat I was in.

I growled and pushed against the straps to at least reach his hand and bite it off. I, however, failed.

"Hmmm… Michael warned us you are a violent one." As he mentioned Michael he flicked his hand toward the vamp.

I only snarled.

"I see. Well sweetie, let me know if there's _anything _you need. We still have an hour to go, that's quite a while, sweetie. Let me know if I can... provide any _comfort_ to you," he purred.

That just set me off like a two-ton firecracker on the Fourth of July, I spit out my gag, "You fucking bastards! Who the hell do you think you are? You kidnap my brother, then proceed to insult me by calling me a damn 'sweetie'? And then you go and make vulgar insults to me like I'm going to allow your dick within a ten-mile radius of me!" I kicked and I flailed until someone put the cloth back under my nose. Before I blacked out I am incredibly proud to say that I successfully took a very large chunk out of the guy's hand.

XxXxXxXxX

This time, I woke up to the sound of a piano and the feel of cold cement beneath me. When my eyes managed to open themselves, I found myself in a cage not unlike the Danvers'. This one though, was in the center of a large ballroom that, in any other situation, would have made me gasp at the sight of it.

The room had ceilings about two stories tall; the ceiling was also designed in a sphere shape like an upside down bowl. The walls were in a velvety red and the floor was marble. The room had huge pillars at regular intervals made of the same marble as the floor. Staircases led up to a balcony thing on both sides of the room. Overall, it looked like something off a cheesy princess movie; beautiful but cliche.

Then of course, the Grand Piano that I had heard was off towards the side of the room. At it sat a man who looked to be about Jeremy's age, though, like Jeremy, was probably a lot older than appearances. His hair was brown with a couple wings of silver in it. His eyes were also brown, and they were only a few shades lighter than his skin. When he saw my eyes had opened, he stood up and I noticed that he had a slight limp with his left leg.

"Hello Kaine." He looked at me in the most loving fashion that I almost puked. Only now did I realize only my hands were bound. I started to struggle to my feet and instantly figured out why they hadn't thought to tie my ankles. My whole body was sore. And I really mean _sore_. When I tried to lift my leg, my whole body racked with shudders until I collapsed back onto the cement.

"Yes," the mutt said, "I really wished you would come willingly. But when my friends saw the American Pack with you, we knew it was not going to happen." This mutt had an English accent.

"Where's William?" I demanded, and was quite happy to hear my voice was as steady as a rock.

"He's upstairs resting. Don't worry, we made an agreement and I will stick to it." He smiled like it was the funniest thing in the world and I could feel my temper boiling.

"What did you do to him?"

The scientist (I was sure this was him) had the nerve to look appalled, "_I_ did nothing to him. Just like I said, I keep my promises. He's fine."

From the way he enunciated _I_, I was willing to bet anything that Willy was the farthest thing from fine. "Okay," I snarled, "what did your _Pack_ do to him?"

"Now that," he grinned, "is the million dollar question."

I growled louder and fiercer than I ever had before. And without waiting for the pain to overtake me, I jumped to my feet and walked over to the bars. Every step was a struggle, but the look on the mutt's face was enough to keep me going. He was completely shocked.

"But? How? You not supposed to do that!" He screamed with enough rage and girliness that I almost laughed.

I finally stopped next to the bars. There, I found out that resting is worse than moving under the influence of whatever he had done to me. But I knew that if I could just stop the pain, I could get William and me out of here. I also remembered when I had broken open the bars on the cage at the Danvers' what seemed so long ago. This mutt didn't know what I could or couldn't do, I _could _get us out of here. I really could.

At least, I kept telling myself that.

My hand grasped the two bars in front of me and pulled. They snapped with a loud crunch. I was ecstatic to learn that as soon as I stepped out of the confines of the cage, the pain was gone. They mutt was frozen in place as I made my way over to him, with what was sure a sadistic grin on my face.

"Wait!" A small, frightened voice said from behind me. I didn't even consider the fact I had turned my back on the enemy, because there, standing on the balcony, was William.

He leaned weakly against the railing in tattered grey sweats and a blue t-shirt. His face was bruised and puffy, the rest of his skin was red and blotchy. I wanted to cry at the sight of him.

"William?" I whispered.

"Kaine, don't kill him!" he shouted as loud as his weak voice could.

"William, he kidnapped you, he kidnapped me and my mother and then did horrible things to all of us. I _have_ to kill him!" I was begging him to understand. Because, I knew I couldn't stand in front of my brother and kill this man if he wouldn't allow it. Willy was here because of me, and I wasn't going to put him through anymore of this shit if he didn't want me to.

"But Kaine, he's figured out so much in genetics! The world would accomplish so much if he shared his knowledge! Don't kill him!"

And then I understood why William had been kidnapped in the first place and not, say, my parents. The mutt had known I'd do anything for William, including turning myself in. He knew once William pleaded for me to spare the mutt's life that I would have to listen because I loved him so much. "William," I whispered just loud enough to be heard, "you really want this monster unleashed on this world?" I'm almost positive I felt a tear roll down my cheek, but I was too stunned to really care.

Before William could respond, the door behind him was opened by Michael. The rush of air that left the room was carried into my face and instantly I knew what had happened to William. The air smelled like werewolf, and Michael didn't have a scent.

I turned on the mutt and charged him, only now he held a gun in his hands. "You turned him!"I screamed, "You turned my little brother!" I know at this point tears were freely falling (out of equal frustration and sorrow).

The gun was aimed directly at me, but with one swift kick it was out of his hands and halfway across the room. I kicked his temple and he crumpled, I had no idea if he was dead or alive, but I really didn't give a shit.

"Nooo!" William shouted and half walked half fell down the stairs. Michael, still standing in the doorway did and said nothing. He just calmly watched the scene below unfold.

When William finally made it down the stairs, I was crouched over the mutt's body. I was almost disappointed to see that he still had a pulse.

"Kaine!" Willy suddenly found the strength to push me over and send me sprawling. "He didn't force me to become a werewolf! I asked!"

I sat there completely and utterly stunned, "Willy…" I whimpered, "Why?"

"At first it was because of you," he accused, "I always looked up to you. Then it was because of the implications. I could have superpowers, I could help save mankind from destruction, _I_ could be a part of the process that saved Earth."

I felt like someone had taken a rusted, dull knife to my heart and just sawed right through it. Not only was I the reason William was here in the first place, but I was also the reason he was a werewolf, even if it was indirectly.

"William," I struggled to my feet again. Suddenly I had no strength. When I finally regained my footing, William pushed me back down again.

"Kaine," he had a hard edge in his voice that was never there before, "leave before we have to hurt you."

I shook my head stubbornly from my position on the floor. "I'm not leaving without you!" I shouted.

"I'm not leaving, Kaine." He growled threateningly.

"Kaine," Michael spoke calmly from up above, "you really should leave. The rest of the Pack is on their way, and Mathew isn't too happy about his hand."

"Why do you care?" I snarled.

"Because," he grinned, "I always hate to see the pretty ones die."

I knew William wouldn't leave because he could be as stubborn as me. I needed help in order to get him out (unwilling or otherwise). So with one last pleading look at Willy's stony features I turned and ran. I didn't run from him, but rather toward help. For some reason, I didn't kill the mutt then and there. That one little decision to keep him alive was the one that was going to cost me a whole lot of sorrow later.

Out the door and through a maze of hallways littered with my scent that eventually led to the front lawn. I turned down the road and ran faster.

I knew I was leaving a scent trail, but until I could find a car or something, my feet were all I had. Four miles down the road I neared a hotel parking lot and my prayers were answered. Quickly I hot wired a car (I learned that from my dad) and hoped in. It was a nice Ford Avalanche, not that I cared much. My head was still reeling from seeing my innocent little brother.

I knew I wasn't all there as I drove down the road, but I didn't really care. I somehow managed to find my way to a gas station. I pulled in and hoped out of the truck.

I opened the door and those stupid annoying little bells that hung above the door rang. "Map, I need a map," I rasped to the clueless cashier who was looking at me strangely.

"Miss, you have… blood on you," the cashier held her hand over her mouth.

"I know," I snapped, though I really had no clue what I looked like. "Map, now!" I threw a couple American ten dollar bills on the counter. I probably overpaid, but I didn't care much.

"Map of what, miss?" the cashier whimpered.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"About three hours out of Manchester," she informed me.

I blinked, "As in England?" Last I knew, I was in Ireland.

She nodded at me like I was dumb.

"Forget the map, I need a phone." I patted my pockets but either someone had taken my cell or it had fallen out.

"There's a pay phone right outside, miss," she looked impolitely relieved that I was leaving her store.

"Thanks," I muttered and scooped up all the money but one ten dollar bill.

Outside, I dialed Elena's cell phone number, one ring later her voice answered with a wary, "Hello?"

"Elena?" I was unreasonably happy to hear her voice.

"Kaine! Oh thank god! Where are you?" her voice was frantic.

"Somewhere outside Manchester, England. I got away, but Will- William's a werewolf. He- he's-" I started to ramble. I probably would've continued but Elena cut me off.

"Meet us in the Palace Hotel in the middle of Manchester. We'll be there as soon as we can. Don't worry, Kaine, it'll be okay." She hung up.

About two hours, out of the estimated three the cashier had told me, later (what can I say, I drive _really_ fast) I entered the lobby of the Palace Hotel. The hotel was nice but not extravagant. It almost even had a homey feel to it. Since the check-in counter was unmanned, I sat there on a low couch that was pushed up against the wall. The lobby was decorated with crappy art and fake plants, but it was almost nice. I was shivering in the chair for god knows how long. I jumped at every sound and flinched at every change in the air currant. Miraculously, the person manning the desk hadn't returned; although it might have only been minutes.

When the door finally opened, I almost screamed before I processed who it was. The Pack poured into the lobby. Logan was the first one through the door, he ran up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, and I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face into his shirt. We just rocked back and forth for a while. He rubbed my back and I think I was crying again. I had cried more in the last two weeks than I had in all my life.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay," he murmured into my ear over and over again. Finally after the tears stopped running down my face, I pushed him back a little bit and wiped my eyes with my sleeve.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

He leaned down the few inches he had on me until he could look me in the eyes, "It's okay, Kaine. Everything will be fine."

"You're right," A man said, I looked behind Logan to see Karl, "they do make googly eyes at each other."

Kat nodded, "But they make a cute couple."

I dropped my hands that were wrapped around Logan's neck in embarrassment. Logan also let go and muttered, "I'll go check us in." He walked over to the check-in counter and rung a bell I hadn't noticed before. A little man stuck his head out of a door behind the counter and gestured for Logan to follow him.

"Kaine," Elena touched my elbow and gently guided me back onto the couch, "tell us what happened."

I did, and by the time I finished I found I was more furious than upset. Just as the last word left my mouth, the door burst open and four men walked in. The man in the middle had the same build as Antonio (muscled, short, and stocky) with salt and pepper hair and a thin mustache over his upper lip. His eyes were dark and his skin was a little tanned. Two of the men surrounding him looked identical; lean, tall, dark hair and eyes, and a seriously long nose. Then the fourth guy stuck out like a sore thumb with his almost white, blonde hair, grey eyes, and broad shouldered build. He looked to be around the same age as the first guy. All of them were werewolves.

The big guy walked forward (since Clay only glared I figured they were okay) and stopped in front of me.

"Kaine, what happened?" from his voice I knew this man was Roman.

Before I could say anything, Antonio pulled Roman aside to relate my story. The blond man stepped forward to take Roman's place. The guy's grey eyes seemed strangely menacing, "Forgive Roman, we Russian Pack. I Sasha, this Grigori and Lev," Sasha had a much stronger accent than his Alpha, and I had to work to understand him. Almost as an afterthought, Sasha stuck out his hand. I took it and he squeezed to the point of being uncomfortable. I could tell I wouldn't like this man.

The room was intensely crowded and so when Logan reemerged from the room behind the counter, I exhaled in relief at his announcement. "I got eight rooms for all of us."

The short, little man following him out looked a little intimidated. I didn't blame him; I didn't know exactly what I looked like, but I know it couldn't have been pretty, and then the other people in the room looked scary angry. On top of that, the atmosphere was tangible with anger and violence.

All of the rooms Logan booked were right next to each other. Except for one of the rooms the Russians were staying in, which was located on the second floor. I was bunking with Kat; Logan with Jeremy; Nick and Antonio; Elena and Clay; Karl with Hope (who I hadn't talked to yet); and then Morgan, Reece and Noah. I wasn't positive, but I think Sasha and Roman and then Grigori and Lev- neither spoke a word of English but 'hello'- were the other sets of roomies.

We had gone to our rooms without further discussion in the lobby because, as Jeremy put it, I was in "emotional distress". So I was ordered to my room to try and get some sleep. Of course, that wasn't an option at this moment, but I went along with it at first until I found out that they were making plans without me. At this knowledge, I left the bedroom and made my way to the little dinning room the hotel had. Although at this point I was seriously thinking this place was more a bed-in-breakfast than anything.

With everyone being werewolves, they knew I was there before I even stuck my head in the door. Most of them gave me disapproving looks, but then they must've realized it would just be a waste of time. I pulled up a chair between Kat and Noah and looked at the map they were looking at.

Then something dawned on me, "Wait," I said, interrupting the tense silence, "why are you guys even still here? The plan was to get William," I cringed as I said his name, "out. Clearly he doesn't want to leave."

Elena nodded her head, "Your right, that was the plan. But Roman made a point in saying that this thing will never end unless we take out the mutt and make a point with the UK Pack we won't accept this kind of behavior." She shook her head in disgust, "So here we are, planning to attack an unknown force of unknown numbers and capabilities. I hate going in blind!"

I understood their reasoning now, and was ready to help (I was never someone who could jump in without knowing the _why's _and _who's_ and _what's_ of things). "What do you need to know?" I figured I might have some useful information I could contribute.

"Do you know where they are?" Clay asked.

I studied the map below me. My photographic memory was retracing my path out of the city and through the suburbs to the rural area where the mansion had been. I found the general area on the map and pointed, "Right there was where I was being kept. It's a mansion or castle or something."

"You sure it's there?" Clay asked, somewhat surprised at my abilities.

"Yup," I tapped my head and smiled a little, "photographic memory."

The people grouped around the table studied the area where my finger had been.

"Do you know how many werewolves they have?" Elena questioned.

I shook my head no, "Three were there in the car with me, plus the scientist at the house, a vampire, and William," my voice broke at the end. "I know they have more than that though."

One of the Russian twins- I think it was Lev- spoke rapidly in his native tongue. We all looked at Roman to translate.

"He ask if you," he looked at me, "know layout of house."

I thought for a moment, and then grabbed a piece of hotel stationary and pen from off the table. "From where I was kept in, the ballroom I think, you have to go," I drew a couple hallways that I remember going through, "this way to reach the door." I added some more branches off the hallways I'd drawn that I hadn't gone down.

Lev nodded excitedly and turned to Grigori, at which point they had a very animated discussion. I'm not positive, but I think I heard the word _bomb_.

"Did you hear 'bomb'?" Kat whispered from next to me.

I nodded and cast a worried look at the twins.

"Do not worry," Roman said, "they went to University and got advanced degree in pyrotechnics. They know what they doing."

Yeah, that reassured me.

After another hour of debating and arguing, we still hadn't thought of anything. There were two main problems. One, we had no clue as to their numbers. And two, we didn't know how many other locations they were stationed in. We only knew about the mansion I'd been kept in. And since that was for sure not their headquarters, we had really no clue were the majority of their people were.

So yeah, an hour and no progress later, we decided on the one thing all werewolves can.

"We need food," Elena proclaimed.

Grunts, nods, and happy sounds accompanied this announcement.

"Everyone write down what they want and we'll put in an order," Elena ordered, passing around a pen and paper.

Just as I'd finished writing my food down, someone tugged my arm. I looked up, I was surprised to find Hope there. She was much shorter than I was, and very petite. She had long, dark hair and big, brown eyes. Her skin looked tanned, but I'm positive it was naturally like that. Actually, she kind of reminded me of Tara from school.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi, I'm Hope," she smiled, and her white teeth stood out dramatically against her skin.

"Right. Oh, I'm Kaine," I stuck out my hand.

She took it and glanced over her shoulder at where the Russian men were standing in conference. "We need to talk."

I looked at her quizzically and shrugged, nonchalantly walking away from the men. It was clear Hope was referring to talking away from them.

"Kaine, you need to watch your back around Sasha. He… just watch your back," she whispered really quietly, so that I had to strain to hear her.

"What do you mean?" Yeah, sure I didn't like Sasha, but I didn't think he'd hurt me.

"I- I see things, okay?" her look said that's as much as she'd say. "Just watch your back," then Hope walked over to where Karl was standing by a wall, surveying the scene around him.

I have to say, I was incredibly curious about Hope. All I knew about her was what Kat had told me shortly after my first Change. Kat had said that Hope was Karl's mate and that she was a half-demon. I wondered what kind of demon she was. I didn't know if there was a code of etiquette when it came to the supernatural races, but I thought it would probably be best if I didn't ask Hope outright who in hell her father was (no pun intended).

Logan, Kat, and Noah were in a corner of the dinning room talking, I walked over to join them. "Hey," I greeted quietly.

Logan smiled, Kat gave a little two finger wave and Noah just said hi back to me. I wasn't sure what to say, but luckily, Noah broke the silence, "So Kat, I heard Alex might be coming up here."

Even though Kat tried to look indifferent, I saw a little light appear in her eyes at the news, "Oh, and who told you that?"

"I overheard a phone call from Alex to Jeremy last night. Alex said he'd be here on a minutes notice if we needed help," Noah shrugged, but anyone could see he was watching Kat's reaction carefully.

Kat responded with an "Oh" and walked slowly away from our group to the general direction of our room. Shortly after, Noah drifted off too, going to talk with some other people while we waited for our food.

"Are you sure you're okay now?" Logan asked me in a hushed voice. He wasn't looking at me, instead he was gazing around the room.

"I don't know," I sighed in frustration. "I'm worried about William. He's a werewolf, brainwashed, and very adamant about what will happen if I go back. I'm just… frustrated I guess."

Logan nodded. "It'll all work out in the end."

Before I could respond, Roman came up to me, "Hello, I do not think we officially introduced, I'm Roman."

"Hi, I'm Kaine."

He sighed, "You look so much like your parents. Mother's eyes and skin, Father's hair and height. Beautiful."

I blushed and looked at the ground. A lot of people have called me pretty, but not many have ever called me beautiful. And I've _never_ been compared to my parents before. "Uh, thanks."

"I'm sorry we not bring more men, but we having a problem with a few of the younger Pack members, and so we leave men there to watch over them," he grimaced and I suddenly remembered the little boy on the phone.

"Your son, Dmitri, right? He answered the phone for you one day?"

"Yes, he- and some of his cousins- going through first Changes all at once, they have difficult time," Roman's voice sounded really worried,

"But Dmitri sounded only five or six," that was really early to Change from what I knew.

He nodded sadly, "That part of problem."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Roman!" Sasha called from the other side of the room. Roman looked at me apologetically and sighed, and then he walked over to his Beta.

The food finally arrived, carried by some seriously pissed looking delivery boys, about six to be exact. When they entered the room, and took in the fact there was less than twenty of us, they checked the address again.

"Yes," Morgan said impatiently, "that's for us, we're expecting more," he lied. Everyone chipped in for the bill and we set about dividing food.

For a while, no one spoke. We were all too busy eating. I wasn't even sure the last time I ate, or for that matter, how long I'd been gone. I nudged Logan next to me, "How long was I away?"

Around a mouthful of food, he got out, "Three days."

I was surprised at that information. I knew I'd been gone for a while, but three days seemed like a long time to be away and not notice.

After we finished eating, we resumed our struggle to form a plan. For the most part, I was quiet, taking in everyone's ideas and trying to fuse them into one. During a brief lull in conversation, an idea came to me that made me kick myself for not thinking about it sooner.

"The reason most of these plans wouldn't work is because of lack of information, right?" I asked, my eyes focused on the table.

"Right," Roman responded gruffly.

"What if I get myself caught, and then get all you need to learn?" yeah, not the most original, foolproof, or detailed plan out there, but it was a start.

Most of the table was silent, then Logan stood up angrily, "I don't like it."

I glared at him, "I didn't ask if you liked it, I asked if it would work."

He shut up and sat down, pissed.

Clayton looked up at the proposal, "How would you relay information back to us?"

I thought a moment, "I don't suppose you guys have one of those communication thingies spies use?" I asked hopefully, my plan already collapsing.

Clay shook his head with a slightly amused look. Sasha had been translating our conversation to the twins, and when he got to the part where I asked about the spy things, Grigori nodded his head rapidly and shouted, "Da!"

I took that as a yes. Everyone's head swiveled to Grigori and then to Roman. "Really?"

"Da!" Lev said.

Roman nodded, "Sometimes we use them for such things as now. They not excellent quality, but they work. You must stand within three miles of each other."

Sounded good to me, "Do you have them with you?"

Roman nodded, "I think so." Then he turned to Grigori and issued a command. Grigori left the room to presumably get the gadgets.

"And so when you have enough information, just uhh, come in, get me, and kill the mutt?" Again, it wasn't an amazingly elaborate, foolproof plan, but I thought it would serve our purposes.

Morgan nodded his head approvingly, "Best idea we've thought of all night."

"Sounds good," Karl agreed.

The following seconds were filled with agreements and a couple of added details to the idea. Logan was leaned back in his chair, arms folded over his chest and glaring daggers at me. I glared right back.

Elena looked at me sympathetically, "They're all like that," she whispered. Then in a louder voice she asked more gently, "What do you want to do about your brother?"

"I- I'll handle it," I muttered grimly.

Shortly after that, we left the dinning room and went to our rooms to sleep. Kat and I had to share a queen size bed, and admittedly, it was a little uncomfortable. I liked her, but I barely knew her, and I was a firm believer in personal space.

"Logan's really pissed with your plan," Kat commented. She was lying on her back looking at the ceiling.

I tiredly growled, "I don't care, I'm going to do it rather it kills me or not. That mutt is not going to hurt anyone else."

Kat giggled, "You guys make a horrible match."

"I _really_ don't want to talk about it right now," I begged. "So what's up with you and Alex?" I just meant to tease her, but at his name her body went rigid.

"Alex? What do you mean?" her questioning sounded false to my ears. She knew exactly what I meant.

"Oh come on, whenever anyone mentions his name you look like a puppy with bacon getting waved in its face."

She grimaced, "That obvious?"

"Just a tad," I replied. I rolled over on my side so I was facing her, "So you like him?"

She shrugged, "He was really nice, I guess I would say I have a crush on him." She sighed, "I haven't seen him in almost five years. Well, actually there was that time about a year ago that he came up from Virginia to visit…" Kat smiled at the memory.

That's a long time to go without someone you might love. Inexplicably and infuriatingly, my mind drifted off to Logan. Before my mind could wonder any more, I told Kat, "Sasha creeps me out. I don't know why though."

She nodded, "Yeah, I know how you feel. Actually, he was involved in some creepy shit about six years ago."

I looked over at Kat, startled be the news, "What do you mean?"

She flipped over on her side so that we were facing each other, "He was here in America for a few years on 'vacation' from Russia. We found out later he'd been temporarily kicked out of his Pack. When he was here, he killed (and ate) a few human prostitutes. That didn't go well with us, so we shipped him back to Russia. Right as he left though, Jaime-the necromancer- talked to a couple of the ghosts of the girls. They told her Sasha did a number of disgusting and irredeemable things to them before he ate them for dinner. Any other mutt and we would have killed for such a crime, but him we couldn't 'cause he was Roman's Beta."

I was appalled that I had shook the hands of such a monster, "And Roman just accepted him back in?" I asked incredulously.

Kat shrugged, "I don't think he knows. Or if he does, he kept him because of a family obligation. Roman would in no situation kill Sasha, but he'd have to if he ate any more people. So Roman keeps him in his sight at all times, Sasha has an incredibly short leash."

I shuddered. How could any sane person eat somebody? My answer was probably right there in that sentence too, what _sane_ person would. Maybe Sasha wasn't in his right mind.

A moment of silence passed, we rolled back over onto our backs.

"Kat," I questioned suddenly, "how many supernaturals are there in the world?"

"I don't know, millions?"

"What about werewolves?"

She shook her head sadly, "A hundred? That'd be my guess." She grinned wickedly and her head lolled to the side, "Just think, you wanna get the population up, you and Logan better get busy," she waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

My mouth was hanging open as I stared at her. With one swift motion I kicked her off the bed, "I can't believe you just said that! What the hell is wrong with you?"

She landed on the floor with a loud thud. I saw her head peak up above the comforter looking to see if I'd do anything else to her, then Kat climbed back up. Before she could say anything else, our door was banged open, breaking the dead bolt.

Logan, Noah and Reece burst into our room dropped in crouches, which would have been hilarious in their plaid boxers if they weren't... well breaking into our room. "What happened?"

I blushed and muttered, "Kat fell off the bed."

"Yeah, _fell_," Kat snorted.

"You guys okay though?" Reece asked.

We nodded and Reece left, came back a second later and grabbed Noah and towed him out of the room.

Logan stared at us suspiciously. I glared and said, "You can leave now too. Not that we ever really needed a rescue team."

"Hey, I was just being cautious," Logan defended and started to leave the room.

"You're too overprotective, all we made was a little thump and you send in the reserves," I could protect myself, thank you.

"Excuse me for making sure you and my sister weren't getting kidnapped," Logan snapped and left, shutting the door behind him.

Right as we heard Logan door shut, Kat and I burst into laughter. I playfully shoved her, "I still can't believe you said that!"

She shrugged and wiped some tears of laughter off her face. "Get over it." She giggled.

I sighed and tried to get myself under control. I giggled a couple more times. "We should probably get some sleep. I have to get myself kidnapped tomorrow." Even coming right off my happy high I was so exhausted that just as the last word left my mouth I passed out.

Four hours later (5 a.m.) our plan was put into action. Although on a side note it was a second from ending when I almost killed Kat for waking me up at such an ungodly hour.

Step 1: Make the call (right after I eat my wheaties).

All of us were again gathered in the dining room. We were being extra quiet as to not wake the owner of the hotel or his one other guest- a middle aged businessman. Tired and groggy, I downed my second mug of black coffee. Surprisingly, even that did little to wake me up, but it'd have to do.

"Okay," Elena started, "we eat, and then Kaine calls and gets the ball rolling."

I nodded mechanically and ate the piles of food set before me. No idea where it came from, but it was pretty damn good. Much to my dismay, I soon woke up enough to realize the food was gone.

"Kaine," Jeremy said, "are you ready?"

I nodded, took a deep breath and then picked up my cell phone. Which as it turns out, had been in my pocket all along.

Everyone went silent and watched me carefully as I dialed in Willy's cell number. It rang twice.

"Hello Kaine," the mutt's voice registered absolutely no surprise, but I suspected my call really had shocked him.

"Hey bitch," I replied cheerily. Some of the werewolves in the room looked amused, some smiled, others looked impatient and worried. But I figured it'd be too obvious I had an ulterior motive if I wasn't a little… well, _me_.

"Considering your successful escape, I not guess this is pleasantry call. In which case, you need something. Meaning if you want what it is, be polite," his voice sounded bored, almost as if he was teaching a child proper etiquette.

I sighed dramatically, "Actually, I do believe I can talk however I feel like."

"And why that?" he suddenly sounded frantic.

"Because I have something you want probably more than anything else at this point," I answered still in tone with my cheery demeanor.

"Oh, and what's that?" his voice perked up a bit with interest.

I laughed, "Geez, for someone with enough brains to genetically engineer a living organism, you're horribly dumb. Isn't it obvious? You want me."

He snorted, "I somehow find hard to believe you give yourself up. What you want in return?"

"Nothing," I paused, "I only want to be able to spend time with my brother. You can do whatever you want to me, just let me talk to him," I pleaded quite convincingly. But for all I knew, I might very well have been serious, even though I was only supposed to be finding a way in.

"How I know you not sic Pack on me once inside?" he was being thorough, something I would have respected coming from anyone but him.

"Two reasons; one, you can't really afford to pass up the opportunity to get me, and two," I sounded bitter, "I'm alone now, everyone left me." My voice purposefully cracked at the end.

He chuckled, "Don't lie to me, Kaine," he warned. "Russian Pack want blood, they won't leave me alive if they had chance to do otherwise. And I know about you and American boy. You still have people behind you."

I paused and sniffled, as if to regain my composure, "Roman and his Pack… they wanted to kill William," I lied. "I wouldn't let them, so they left me. Yes, they still want your head, but I could help you fight them." My voice was so hopeful I almost gagged. Out of the corner of my eye, Kat flipped me a thumbs up.

"Kaine," I had the impression that, had I been in the same room as him, the mutt would be leaning intently forward, "if you lying, I find out and kill everyone; your precious brother, mate, friends in Ohio, everyone. We have superior power, numbers and technology, we would win. Understood?"

I whimpered a pitiful yes.

"Good. Now, use pretty, photographic mind of yours and go back to gas station you stopped at. We pick you up there." He hung up.

I stared at the phone in my hand with a triumphant smile.

"Okay, one, I'm a freaking awesome actress," I stated and received a couple of proud and amused grins. "And two," I gestured to Elena and Roman, "I _really _need to talk to you. Now," I added when I saw they weren't moving.

The three of us, amid much concern from our self-sanctioned security teams, stepped out into the parking lot behind the hotel. We all did a quick 360 degree sweep of the area. It was only us, a few cars, and litter. I looked them both in the eye, "I've been suspicious for a while, but now I know. We have a mole."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Elena and Roman glanced at each other before they simultaneously said, "We know."

I cocked my head, "You do?"

They nodded. It shouldn't have surprised me that they already figured it out, after all, they were their Packs.

"Who?" I questioned.

Again, they looked at each other before Elena said, "We have an idea."

Roman looked at his wristwatch and reported to no one in particular, "I should get back before he becomes suspicious." And then he walked back into the hotel.

I waited until the door swung shut, "It's Sasha then?" I deduced.

Elena nodded sadly, "It's a shame for someone that close to you to betray you."

I remained silent and thought (quite maddeningly) of William. "So what now?" I asked, before my traitorous mind could go any further.

"We go back inside and pretend this conversation never happened," she glanced slyly at me before gesturing me through the door she now held open.

We walked into the dining room to find it near empty save for Clayton and Jeremy. They both raised their heads from their conversation at our approach. For a moment, the three seemed to be having a silent conversation through their minds because they all stared at each other.

Then Clay spoke up, "You'll be leaving in a half an hour, it'll take you two to get to the gas station. We'll follow you there, and make sure everything goes according to plan. Understood?" he said in his usual gruff manner and Southern drawl.

"Yes."

"Good," Elena stepped in. "Why don't you go to your room and get ready?" It was posed as a question, but clearly it was a command. And for once, I had no energy to argue with authority, so (mark it on your calendars) I did as I was told.

On my way to my room, I passed Nick and Antonio's room. The door was open and I could see Hope and Karl in there too. I didn't know why, but I got the distinct impression they were making battle plans. But who knew?

I walked three doors down from their room to mine and Kat's. I pushed open the not quite shut door to see both Kat and Logan there. Kat was sitting on the padded desk chair and Logan on the edge of the foot of the bed. No one said a word.

When I crossed the threshold, Kat slowly stood up and- much to my surprise- gave me a light hug. I awkwardly patted her back. I wasn't a very affectionate person.

When she pulled back I folded my arms, "What was that for?" I asked.

She gave me a look that rivaled what I'd seen from her dad, "Just don't get yourself killed," she ordered. "You're the only one around here my age with two X chromosomes."

I stood at attention and gave her a mock salute, "Yes ma'am."

She shook her head and exited the room, though not before I saw a smile on Kat's face, shutting the door behind her.

That left me alone with the bane of my existence, Logan Danvers, in a hotel room. I crossed my arms again and slowly walked over to stand in front of him. His eyes tracked me the whole way.

"Any words of wisdom you wish to impart?" it was supposed to sound sarcastic, instead it was a whisper.

He stared at me for a long moment (I stared back) before tugging my hand so that I sat beside him. He looked right into my eyes and softly said, "No."

"Good, because I was going to-" he cut off the beginning of my shameful nervous rambling with one swift motion… of his lips.

The sad truth was that this was the first _real_ kiss I'd ever gotten. I may have been seventeen, but don't forget I was the girl everybody was secretly afraid of for reasons they didn't know. The only guys I even hung out with were Emery and Nolan, and Nolan was in a relationship and Emery was more my brother than anything.

But back to the kiss.

My God it was amazing! As cliché as it was, when his lips touched mine, an electric current zinged through my body. Logan's lips were so soft and smooth. The kiss was short and sweet, but it left me wanting so much more. And again, you have to understand that I'm not into affection, so imagine how great that kiss just was.

Logan pulled back with a small smile that wonderfully lit up his blue eyes. Knowing my luck and lack of control over my expressions during times of nonviolence, I probably had a goofy grin plastered to my face. Then his face turned serious and he pulled me into a hug then quickly let go. He grabbed my upper arms and bent his neck so his face was level to mine.

"You will not get hurt, Kaine," he looked me square in the eyes. "You won't be stupid either. That mutt is going to try to hurt you physically, but when that won't work, he'll switch to mental torture. He's smart, he'll twist things around. Just don't believe it, okay?"

I had already figured as much. "I know."

Logan searched my eyes once more before letting me go and standing up. He pulled me up by my hands. "Don't know if they'll let you keep a bag of clothes, but you might as well pack your duffel." He released my hands.

I expected him to leave as I bent to get my bag from under the bed. Instead, he sat in the desk chair Kat had vacated and started quizzing me on random things. Question three: "When's your birthday?"

"November 16th," I answered, trying to stuff my sweat pants into the bag.

"That's next week."

I looked up, "Is it? I'll be eighteen." I said casually and went back to packing. I used to make a big deal of my birthday, but suddenly it didn't seem all that important. I had so much else to worry about.

Logan looked mildly concerned at my lack of enthusiasm, but moved on, "Favorite flower?"

I grimaced and laughed drily, "Used to be lilacs." Logan laughed at the irony too. "I guess its orchids now."

He nodded like it was one of the most important things in the world.

I zipped the bag and turned to face him, "What about you? What's _your_ favorite color, flower, subject, when's your birthday?"

"Red, I'm a guy so I can't have a favorite flower, history, and July 7th." He ticked each answer off his fingers.

"Right," I absorbed the information and looked at the door regretfully. "I should leave now," I sighed.

Two hours later I sat in my (stolen) truck in the gas station parking lot. Clay, Antonio, Nick, Kat, and the Russian twins were piled into a rented SUV a mile away. A few assorted vehicles had stopped and gone during the fifteen minutes I'd been sitting here.

I'd already gotten the speech. Don't do anything rash or stupid. If something sudden happens, just say the word and they're there. Be smart. Be confident, but not arrogant and irritating. Mention nothing of the Russian Pack because they were the only wild card in the whole scheme.

I even got a special little add on from Kat. "Sasha is a mole; he already told the mutt our plans. The mutt thinks we'll be there in three days, no matter what information we get from you. Really, we'll be there sooner. We don't know when yet, and that's the way it'll be until we burst through those doors. Metaphorically of course, we wouldn't make such a noisy entrance."

At present time though a little voice buzzed in my ear, "Any sign of them?"

I sighed, annoyed, "No Nick. Just like I said a minute ago, I'll tell you when I see them." The necklace around my neck was what was transmitting my voice back to them. It was unisex, designed to look inconspicuous on anybody. I didn't really like the thought of having something someone could strangle me with around my neck, but I hadn't a choice.

Kat laughed, "Well Kaine, if you hadn't driven like a madman and gotten here a half hour early, we wouldn't be having this problem."

It was true, I'd received many cuss words through the comms unit in my ear on the way because Antonio couldn't keep up. We even had to pull over at one point so he and Clay could switch seats. Clay had no problem following me.

"Can't help it, I learned to drive on Need for Speed the video game," I answered distractedly as a silver Ford Taurus pulled up to a gas pump.

Someone chuckled, "Go figure."

The Taurus drove away. A moment later a monster sized black Suburban replaced it. It pulled to a stop in front of the store, two parking spaces to the left of my truck. Since my window was rolled down, I got a face full of werewolf when the passenger door of the SUV opened.

As quietly as I could, I whispered, "They're here. Black Suburban, it has a tiny scratch on the back left fender." I felt like a spy right from the movies. Hopefully, this would follow the honored plotline of the movies too. Heroine & Co. make plan, something goes slightly wrong, Heroine thinks all is lost, Heroine is wrong, Heroine & Co. escape with minor bruising. Of course, I could really do without step two and three, but it was better than the alternative where we all die.

Anyways, Kat responded with a, "Got it," and fell silent.

The werewolf that had emerged from the SUV sauntered up to my truck with the one wolfy from my previous capture that had attempted to talk to me in the vehicle. I couldn't help but smile when I saw his hand bandaged. Point for Kaine.

I opened my door and stepped down. The two men stopped within a foot of me, they tensed when I reached back into the truck silently to get my duffel bag. "Can I take this?" I asked, even as I hoisted it onto my shoulder and started to walk to their car. They scrambled to catch up to me and flanked me like it had been their idea all along. I grinned harder. A long as I kept in control of the situation, I was safe.

I reached for the back door of the SUV and opened it, climbing in. The guy with the bandaged hand and bruised ego slid in next to me, the other one took the passenger seat. I looked around the Suburban. Michael was driving again. To my left was another mystery werewolf.

In the tense silence, I leaned back in my seat and started humming. Ten minutes later the guy to my right shouted, "Bloody hell! Stop the humming!"

I voiced a few more bars before stopping. I swear I heard laughter coming from my comms unit.

The man growled and rubbed his bandaged hand. I noticed the bandage was turning pink, then red from more bleeding. I looked up at the owner of the hand, "I'd get that checked if I were you."

He started to raise his hand to slap me, I sat there staring, bracing myself but not flinching. Surprisingly, I was saved by Michael, his eyes flicked between the road and the rearview mirror, "Hey! Boris wants her unharmed! Leave her alone Angelo." Angelo slowly lowered his hand, an ugly sneer on his pale face.

A tiny smile formed on my face on cue. I turned to Michael. "So Boris is the mutt?"

Michael glanced at me through the mirror, he frowned as if trying to understand my aim, "He isn't a mutt, he's part of the UK Pack, but yes, that's who you're thinking of." His tone was part bitterness and part wariness.

I nodded, "Let me guess, he blackmailed you."

Everyone looked sharply in my direction. "What do you mean, 'blackmailed'?" Michael asked me angrily, although I detected a little bit of worry too.

"You do know what blackmail means don't you?" I asked sarcastically. "You're a vampire, I haven't been a part of his long, but vampires don't hang with werewolves. And you're doing his dirty work like tracking a seventeen year old girl, and escorting said girl. You're either being blackmailed, have an ulterior motive or are really, really, dumb."

Unfortunately, he was saved from answering by a ringing cell phone. It was my cell phone. I'd left it in my pocket. Everyone looked at me like I should know better than to bring my cell when I'm turning myself in. I looked at the caller ID and saw it was Emery. I held up my forefinger in a 'give me a moment' signal and answered, "Hello."

"Kaine?" he sounded so wonderfully familiar I almost cried, "I'd thought you had fallen off the face of the world."

"Eh," I glanced around, I really had fallen off one world, at least from my sheltered, ignorant human one, "something like that." I could have laughed at the expressions of the men around me. They varied from helplessness to fury to incredulousness.

"So what have you been up to the last month and a half?" Emery asked.

I laughed, "Nothing much, you?"

"Just training and school. Did you find a gym over there?"

"Yeah, classes start," I checked my phone calendar, "today." Guess I could rule out making it to that one. That was depressing. I heard a car door slam on his end. "Where are you?" I asked.

"Outside your door," I hear a doorbell ring on his line, when I should have heard right in my house.

"Emery, I wish you would have called. I'm not home," I felt bad. I suddenly remembered the text Logan had read about Emery stopping by this week. I should have remembered.

"No problem," he sounded kind of disappointed, "I'll wait for you to get back."

I sighed and shushed Angelo as he started to talk, "That's the thing, I won't be home for a while. A long while. I'm sure my parents will let you stay as long as you want though. "

He fumbled a little with his words, "Uhh, okay. I'll umm, see you sometime then. Bye Kaine," he said softly and hung up.

I hung up too and blinked sadly before remembering my surroundings. I replaced my confidence. "Sorry 'bout that boys." They all looked at me like I was insane. I sighed dramatically, "I suppose you want my phone."

The man to my left held out his hand and I placed it in it. The werewolf in the passenger seat spoke up for the first time, "Check her bag."

The same man who took my cell took my bag off my lap too. He unzipped it and sorted through everything. It was only clothes and toiletries. To my disgust, Angelo reached across me and grabbed a pair of my cotton underwear. He held them up to his face and inhaled.

"Bitch in heat, the best smell in the world." He continued to inhale.

I wanted to kill him so bad, instead I calmly said, "Hey, to each his own. If you prefer to masturbate with my underwear than go out and actually find a girl who'll lay you, good for you."

I almost think he would have let the comment pass if Michael and the guy searching my bag hadn't laughed. But they did, so Angelo threw my panties down with a snarl and slapped his un-bandaged hand across my face.

I smiled through the pain, probably looking like a madwomen but not caring because I had the satisfaction of seeing Angelo overcome with fury and frustration.

I wasn't the only one who noticed. The guy searching my duffel hurriedly shouted, "Get him out of the car! He's Changing!"

Michael slammed on the brakes and the man in the passenger seat jumped out and opened Angelo's door. He started to pull him out and I pushed Angelo's flailing form. He was dumped onto the ground, and only now did I realize we were at the beginning of a long gravel driveway, similar to the one that led to Stonehaven. The passenger seat sitter got back in the SUV and shut the door.

"Just drive," he said, "he can walk back to the house. Hothead…" he started muttering names and curses.

Michael continued down the driveway. I started humming again. Ten minutes later he pulled into a garage. We all got out and exited through a small door that led into a utility room. I was led through that room into a hallway. It was designed in a T shape. We came out at the corner of the cross section. We walked and weaved through a number of hallways that I committed to memory before we finally stopped at an engraved door. Michael pulled it open and I was nudged inside.

It was a living room. The carpet was very thick, white, and soft. A burgundy couch was placed along the far wall. A smaller matching love seat was positioned in front of the other one with about ten feet between them. A low wooden coffee table was also in that space. An armchair was on one side of the arrangement and on the other was a huge fireplace. The walls were tan. A lot of other little details made the room seem like something out of a home decorating catalog.

But I wasn't really concerned with what the room looked like, more of who was in it. Not really surprising was the mutt, Boris. He sat on the love seat with his feet propped up on the coffee table. His back to me, he didn't turn around as I walked in.

My attention though, was more focused on the scrawny little kid on the bigger sofa that used to be my brother. Oh, I still had hope I'd get him back, but that emotion was quickly failing as I saw the look on his face. Pure hate and disgust. He wouldn't even look at me. I'm pretty sure I whispered, "William," but no one responded.

The door clicked behind me. The three of us were alone.

"Hello Kaine, take a seat." Not a friendly request, no, a steely command.

"I prefer to stand if it's all the same," I mechanically resumed my sarcastic demeanor. The comms unit in my ear had been silent for a while now.

"Very well," Boris sighed.

I don't know how long I stood there, silent. I do know that I was not going to be the one to cave into the silence and break it. And I didn't.

Boris tossed a careless look over his shoulder at me, "I suggest you talk to brother now. This is what you asked for."

I almost laughed, of course I wasn't going to get any alone time with William like I'd stated to the mutt on the phone. I wasn't surprised one bit.

I stayed where I was… how to start?

Turns out I didn't have to, "Kaine, I am telling you now. I hate you. I will never leave with you. I am staying here now and nothing will change that. You can talk to me all you want, but I'll still be here when they cart your body away either from old age or murder." The way he spoke, so calculated and hate filled. I wanted to believe so bad that the mutt was holding a gun on him where I couldn't see, I wanted to believe anything other than what I'd just heard. But deep down, I knew it was all real, he meant everything he said.

"I'm so sorry…" A voice in my ear whispered, I think it was Kat.

I wasn't really focused enough to care. I stood there shell-shocked for another immeasurable amount of time.

"Well Kaine," Boris stood, and William followed suite, "I think that takes care of my side of deal. If you—."

I cut him off, finally coming to. "Where is the Alpha of this Pack?"

He tilted his head and studied me, "On holiday." His lips twisted ever so slightly.

"You killed him didn't you?" I accused, not really sure where I was going with this. I just wanted William to see how ruthless this man really was.

The man gave a slow calculated smile before answering, "No, William did."

For a second, I stared blankly at him, then I started to wildly shake my head. Shaking it to get all these stupid, stupid lies out of my head. William wouldn't kill anything bigger than a spider. He _couldn't_ do it. He used to wake up before my parents to set the mice free from the traps in the barn. He wouldn't kill another person. _Ever_.

I didn't get to say any of this though, because I was knocked unconscious by a 2x4 to the back of my head.

I woke up handcuffed to a bed post and with a killer headache. Oh, and I can't forget the frantic whispering that seemed to be coming from inside my head. At first, I came to the completely rational assumption that I went crazy in the amount of time I was unconscious. Then I remembered the ear wig.

"Kat?" I moaned when I made sure no one was in the room with me. Then again, I could barely see the edge of the bed I was in it was so dark. The blinds were drawn, and no amount of light was seeping through. I thought it was night time.

"Kaine? No it's me, Nick." He sounded relieved.

"Oh," I mumbled, still trying to overcome the feeling my head was getting bashed in.

He laughed softly, "Don't sound so disappointed. What happened, kid?"

"Don't call me kid," I muttered automatically. "I got hit in the head with a piece of wood. Knocked out," I explained ashamedly.

Nick must have picked up on my tone, "Hey, we all have those moments of stupidity. Are you good now?"

I looked around again, my eyes adjusting to the dark. I could make out the shapes of furniture; a chair, dresser, desk, sofa, and table. From what I could see, it would be a sweet room if I wasn't being held prisoner. "Sort of," I answered finally, "I'm handcuffed to a bed post."

"Kinky," he said.

I couldn't help but smile a little. But then I got back to business. You'd think that they'd have learned after watching me break three inch wide steel bars, but no, they put me in handcuffs attached to a wooden post. Idiots. So with one swift, easy motion of my wrist it broke and I was free. "Well that was easy," I muttered, almost disappointed.

I climbed out from under the covers. I was still in my clothes from earlier. I walked over to the window- each step sending a throbbing pain up to my brain- and peered outside. The first rays of sunlight were sneaking up over the horizon. Next I hobbled over to the door on the far side of the room. I opened it to find a bathroom. I shut that without even looking inside.

I looked around and spotted another door. This time I flattened myself to the floor and stuck my nose up to the little crack between the door and the floor. I sniffed. Nothing. I grabbed the door knob and yanked, expecting it to be locked. It wasn't. The door flew open, but luckily I caught it before it hit the wall.

It was like they wanted me to escape.

I half expected Michael to be standing there, because he'd be a perfect guard since he didn't smell. But he wasn't. I looked around the hallway, nothing there either. This was just way too easy.

"Nick?" I spoke as softly as I could, trying my hardest not to break the eerie silence.

"Yeah?" his voice was so loud I flinched.

"Something's not right."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Gut feeling?" I started to slowly stalk down the hallway, just picking a random direction since I didn't remember this on my mental map.

"Ah, well then be careful. Instincts are always right," he went silent again.

I didn't respond, instead I just kept walking, stopping every few yards to sniff the air. A minute later I hit a cross section and sniffed again. I instantly smelled the scent I associate with all male werewolves. Because now that I think about it, females do have a different scent, not the bitch in heat Angelo smelled, but definitely different than males. But more specifically, I recognized the smell to be the mutt's- and it was fresh. So, like the stupid heroine I always yell at on screen, I followed the scent.

I must have been tracking it for at least ten minutes before I came to a small metal door coming off the _old_ kitchen. I'm talking brick ovens, a hand water pump, huge iron tubs for washing dishes, and one of those big rocks on a spinning wheel used to sharpen knives. Yup, it was old.

Again, I did the stupid thing and opened the door. It revealed a small flight of stone/dirt steps that I followed down. I expected to see a dusty cellar with bottles of old wine. Instead I saw plate lined walls, gleaming floors, fluorescent light fixtures, big steel tables and clear cabinets holding everything from Pledge disinfectant to scalpels.

I had to close my eyes for a minute to adjust to the new lighting, and in that time, something new entered the picture. Boris.

"I surprised it took you this long Kaine." Then he whipped up a gun from under his lab coat and shot me in my left arm.

Darkness swirled around me until I collapsed into the nothingness.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Once again, I woke up to a nagging voice in my head- it was mine this time, yelling at me to get the hell up. This time though, I wasn't in a plush bed. Not by far. I felt cold metal under my almost bare back.

Which led me to four realizations: One, I was strapped to a lab table like one you'd find in a morgue. Two, I wasn't dead (I checked to make sure). Three, I was only clothed in my boy short underwear and my bra and cami. And four, my earpiece and necklace were gone.

Or not gone really since I could see them both on a desk. But very soon my earpiece would be blown to hell because Boris took that moment to smash it with his cane. I could still talk to the Pack (or yell really since the necklace was halfway across the room), but they wouldn't be able to talk back.

"Kaine, good to see those beautiful eyes," Boris smiled at me when he finished smashing the comms unit. He followed my gaze to the broken ear piece, "Yes, such shame you choose now to make me angry. I really thought us friends."

I gagged and just couldn't resist a good jab, "So you treated all your friends in kindergarten to your hospitality by tying them up to a table half naked. Isn't that a rule you teach your child when they're little? 'Now Timmy, being a sexual sadist is only fun in the movies, in real life, it's a very unpleasant thing and creates a great deal of mess-'" I choked off when he hit my throat with the cane, which was still coated in plastic fragments from the necklace. I felt some of them shallowly embed themselves into my skin.

My eyes watered and I fought for breath, "I," cough, "take it you didn't have," cough, swallow, "too many friends in school?"

His eyes were blazing with anger as he looked down at me, "Any guessing why I brought you to this place?"

I grinned, "I thought I covered that theory in my sexual sadist rant." That one only earned me a slap, not a crushed windpipe.

"No Kaine," he started to walk away, and I went wild trying to get the straps off. I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried it wouldn't work. Maybe they had learned after all. "I let you get down to this place because I want to finish what I start seventeen, almost eighteen years ago." He turned back to face me and I instantly stopped thrashing.

"What," I laughed, "you didn't get your kicks off torturing my mom, now you want to go a round with me?"

He sighed like I was a student who was just too dense to understand that when you add 2 and 2 you'll get 4. "It never about your mother, only you. And no, I do not wish to fight you. You can not bait me with such. And to fight would be counterproductive anyway."

He grabbed a syringe and bent down to my arm. I couldn't move, I couldn't even get him within biting range. He stabbed it into my arm and at first I felt nothing. Then the injection site started getting hotter and hotter. Until eventually it felt like there should have been flames shooting from it. I clenched my teeth until they groaned. I squirmed, but didn't give him the satisfaction of making a sound.

He looked at me like it genuinely hurt him to see me in pain, and then he must have sucked it up like a big boy because next I knew his cruel eyes were right above me. "Do you know why I left necklace?" he hissed.

I swallowed, "Because," I forced out, "you think it's hot and wanted to check to see where I got it?" My eyes were watering as the fire started to spread outward. I think I might have even managed a small grin.

"No!" he slapped me across my face for a second time in three minutes, "because I want friends to hear you scream! And for them to know what is next for them! We already know where they are. Tell me, is your mate there?"

I spat up into his face. Oddly, until today I have never been able to do that. Eh, better late than never.

Boris stepped back and wiped my saliva off his face. He forced a triumphant smile onto his mouth. "That is okay Kaine. You understand why? Because that injection will most assuredly kill you. A very slow death." His smile now seemed less forced and he literally pulled up a chair.

I racked my brain through the ever growing pain that was consuming me. _Find a way out now Kaine! No need to plan something heroic, just get the hell out!_ "But," I rasped, "I though we were going to have some fun." I gulped, swallowing the pain, "Poking and prodding and all that shit."

He laughed right in my face then, "Ah, Kaine! I only regret we don't have more time! Such wit in children is hard to find." He leaned forward a bit, "And no Kaine, I already received what I wanted." He waved his hand over to a table. On it was any number of beakers and vials. Most of which had clear liquid and blood. They were mine.

"I see," I started. Before I got anywhere else though, I spasmed. The fire was throughout my whole body. I couldn't help it, I screamed. Bloody murder too. It felt like I was getting sent through a blast furnace. I tried so hard not to feel the pain, not to give this damn mutt the fucking satisfaction. But here I was, screaming like a dumb blonde who'd seen the guy who'd killed all her equally stupid friends in a horror movie.

That's about when I realized that's exactly what my life had become, a damn horror film. I screamed and cussed some more.

"Ah, that's better. Let it out," Boris crooned.

This was so much worse than Changing. I'd rather undergo fifty Changes in a day than this. It was so, so much worse. "Stop this! Stop this! What the hell did I do to you?"

"My dear girl, you did nothing," he stroked my hair.

I twisted my head back and bit his hand for all I was worth. He shook it and slapped me with his other, but I held on. At least it acted like a gag and I no longer screamed. But he sure did.

"Let go you bitch!" he slapped me again. "Let go!"

I smiled around his hand and clamped down harder. The pain in my body lessened. Though it still felt like getting drug through hell and back again.

Boots clomping down the stairs. Just one set. I didn't turn my head to see the new arrival. Figuring they would see me and kill me anyway. Might as well make sure this werewolf wouldn't ever use his hand again.

"Kaine," a steely voice commanded, "stop it."

I aggressively shook my head and ripped off half of the mutt's hand. He screamed so shrilly I would have covered my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping I was wrong about who stood behind me.

Slowly I opened them again, took in the mutt on the floor, his eyes fluttered, fighting unconsciousness. I turned my head. "Is this what you want, William? Do you want me dead?"

William stood still in my line of vision. Arms at his side, eye twitching slightly. "You have no idea how beneficial his work is."

The fire was fading even more. Maybe this was the end, the last stage of whatever was in my body. "Willy, I never thought I'd be able to say this, but you're so deluded." I managed a weak grin. My body was so tired.

"Am I?" he whispered. Some of his old insecurities seemed to present themselves in his question.

Completely forgetting about everything in the whole world I asked almost too quiet to hear, "What did he do to you?"

William looked at me, considering, "The same thing he did to you, only you weren't alive to feel it. And he made me better. So much better than you."

"Why? Why would you ask to be like me?"

"Because you were my big sister," his eyes got a far away look. "I saw how—" He growled at himself and shook his head. "What did _you_ do to _him_?" William jerked his head at Boris and his eyes gleamed dangerously.

I couldn't answer though. My mouth stopped working. Everything was getting fuzzy. My ears hurt from the loud noises coming from upstairs. Loud shouting and wails. Growls and thuds. Something like a broken piano.

I blacked out, but not before a tiny voice in my head told me that I should really stop doing this.

Nothing, I felt nothing. I was floating. I saw my body on the metal table. The restraints were off now, a little late for that.

I could hear clearly, no more loud noises. I looked around. William, standing a few yards beside Boris. They were both looking at my body. My still, still body.

I couldn't even say I was mad to realize I was dead. Not at all. My only question was how long. Briefly I thought of the Pack and how they'd react. I hoped they wouldn't be too upset.

"You!" William shook with rage. "You killed her!"

Boris looked over to him calmly, "You wanted this. You told her so yourself."

He was still shaking. "Boris," he said in the same serene and deadly voice I used to use, "do you know the problem with creating something better than you?" He didn't wait for an answer, "When we turn on you, you're dead."

He pounced. William sacked the mutt and they went sliding across the slick floor into the table with all my DNA and blood samples. William straddled the mutt and punched him, over and over. Somehow though, Boris managed to lift his cane in his bloody, torn hand and get the bottom to touch William's side. He squeezed the handle. A three inch long blade popped out and slid cleanly into my brother's side. In surprise, he jumped up and held his bleeding torso.

I wanted nothing more than to join in. Kill this damn mutt and live happily ever after. I pushed and shoved at my body, trying to get my ghost back in. I had to help William.

The brother in question wiped his hands on his jeans and ripped off his t-shirt. He tied it around his waist to stop the blood flow which was a lot heavier than I expected. The mutt was struggling to stand. Even using his now normal cane he couldn't do it.

I shoved harder at my body. My finger twitched.

William walked, though he staggered halfway there, to my body. He checked my pulse. His face contorted in rage and he limped/ran over to a side table. Grabbed those electric paddles and flipped a switch. Before he could act though, the mutt regained his footing. William cussed and threw down the paddles.

He attacked the mutt again. Footsteps thudded around on the floor above us. Someone banged the small metal door. I'm sure I could have gone up to see who it was, but I wouldn't leave. Not William.

Boris hit my brother on his head with the cane. William staggered and blood trickled down his face. Willy swung with his fist and missed. I don't think I've ever seen him hit anything until today.

I _had_ to get back in my body.

I turned back to the fight when I couldn't get anything but another finger to twitch.

Willy managed to land a punch that knocked Boris on his ass. I yelped in glee, even though no one could hear me. The banging upstairs got louder. On his way down to the floor though, Boris managed to open up his knife once again. He thrusted upward and caught William in his right armpit. I shouted and yelled like crazy. That blow could kill right?

William also fell back, his head landing so it pointed to my body. His eyes washed anew with fury. My little brother pushed himself up and descended on the mutt without pausing. With one final swift blow, he punched Boris square in the throat.

The fight was done. William won. I smiled so hard it hurt. Then my face quickly rearranged itself into horror. Boris apparently, wasn't done ruining my life because he lifted his cane in a last ditch effort and stabbed upward blindly. He caught William in the eye. The blade sunk in until all three inches were inside my brother's head.

I screamed until my voice was horse. Until I couldn't scream at all. William thrashed for less than thirty seconds. Then he lay still. Boris also died in a minute.

My ghost self sobbed when I couldn't scream anymore. He was gone. Not just missing, but dead.

The door leading to the stairs crashed open, feet flew down the stairs. I wiped my eyes clear of tears to see Logan, Elena, Clay, Antonio, and Reece. Logan ran past everybody else to get to my lifeless body. Clayton checked pulses on Boris and William.

I pushed against my body again, trying to get back inside. Logan slapped my face gently, refusing to check my pulse when he knew there wasn't anything there. No one said a word in the lab.

"Kaine! We're alive!"

I whipped my head around to see William. He floated an inch or two off the ground. No bloodstains showed on his clothes. A big, innocent smile lit up his face. I shook my head sadly, "No William, we're dead."

He looked around frantically, "Oh my god, Kaine," he whispered, "I never meant it, never meant any of it."

I looked back down at the scene below. Logan looked like he was crying now. "I know Willy. I know."

A tear slid down his cheek.

I slapped on a fake grin, "I say we see what fun we can have in the afterlife."

William smiled a little and looked back at our bodies. Then he looked back to me and his smile broadened. "I will, Kaine, but it looks like you're gonna have to wreck havoc on the living world."

I looked at him confused until he pointed back to my body. I turned around and felt a tug. Logan had the paddles on now and was pressing them against my chest. Both my ghost self and my body spasmed as the electric currant ran through my body. He pulled them back and tried again. The tug was stronger this time.

I looked back at William. He smiled at me, "Go Kaine, I'm the reason all this started, go." He was right, but that didn't mean I wanted to listen to him. He saw my hesitation, "Go Kaine! I don't know how long you'll have the chance. You don't deserve to die now. Mom and Dad need one of us to come back. Go!"

"Willy, I love you so much. None of this was your fault. _I'm_ the stubborn one." I looked wildly between William and the Pack.

"Go," he whispered. I went.

My chest heaved and my eyelids felt too heavy to open.

"Kaine?" the electric shock stopped.

"Mur-bah mmm-hmm," I'm not even sure what that was supposed to mean. I got my eyes to open. Faces hovered above me. Clay. Elena. Antonio. Reece. Logan. And for a split-second, I swear I saw William. I blinked and he went away.

"Kaine, thank god," Logan breathed. He put down the paddles without looking away; as if afraid I'd leave again if he lost sight of me. He reached his hand out and cradled my face. I smiled, even though this whole event was bitter sweet.

"Is," I took a deep breath, "anyone hurt?" I sat up slowly.

Elena shook her head, "Everyone's safe." She looked around again and saw William's body, then winced at her last statement.

I sighed in relief. "I- I want to go home." I refused to look at William. I wanted to remember him as he had been as a ghost; whole, healthy, and peaceful.

Logan nodded and took my elbow, guiding me down off the table. I was able to stand, but I was so shaky. He led me way around the two bodies and up the stairs. I heard Elena softly order Antonio to get William's corpse.

I squeezed my eyes shut until I felt the slap of a cold breeze across my face. I was told to stay there (right outside the front door), while they brought the car around. Clay stood with me. Peaceful silence enveloped us until Clayton spoke up.

He coughed, "If you have any thing left to say to your brother, I'm sure Jaime would be glad to help," Clay told me gruffly, without looking at me.

I glanced over, "No, we already—." Without warning, I tackled Clay to the ground. I have no shame in saying that I normally would never have been able to take Clay by surprise; however, he _really_ wasn't expecting that. An arrow whizzed above our heads just as he pushed me off and opened his mouth to yell.

We both sprung up, looking in the direction of the projectile. A figure ran around the corner of the house. Without thought, we both followed.

I knew who it was; Michael. He was easy to take down. Sure, he was waiting for us around the corner with a baseball bat, but I ducked under his swing and Clay stayed wide. I grabbed him by his knees and Clayton ripped the bat from the vampire's hand and hit his head in a swing that smashed in his face. Michael fell but as we watched, his face was rearranging itself back into proper order.

Clay looked at me, still on the ground. "Go get in the car. I'll take it from here." I nodded and stood. I got a few paces before Clay called to me, "Kaine, thanks."

I nodded again and walked away with a little smile on my face. I think I had just managed to get the Pack enforcer's respect, something I was pretty sure was _very_ hard to do.

The SUV was waiting for me; I opened the door and climbed in. Along with the werewolves who had been in the lab with me, Kat was in here too. Elena, in the driver's seat, looked in the rearview mirror at me, "Clay?"

I gestured behind me, "Taking care of a vampire. Told me to go ahead."

She nodded, "I'll be right back." She climbed out to join Clay in a party of dismemberment.

The people in the car would look at me, and then glance away quickly. I ignored everyone, even Logan, and leaned against the door. I closed my eyes, and before Clay and Elena even got back, I was asleep.

I was woken up when we arrived back at the hotel. Logan walked beside me through the back door and into my room. Someone had thought to grab my duffel from the mutt's house, but I ignored all the clothes inside and just climbed into bed in my cammi and boy shorts that I was still wearing.

I didn't say a word when Logan got in with me. He put his head at the bottom of the bed and his feet stretched up to the top. As if to show me he was here strictly on a professional level. I almost fell asleep like that, but for some reason- I really don't know what possessed me- I swung myself around so my head was at the bottom too. I faced Logan and scooted over until my face was buried into his chest. He wrapped his arm around me and didn't say anything, just stroked my hair. I was too tired to cry, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I was tucked under the covers with my head back at the top of the bed. Logan lay behind me, with the front of his body pressed up against my back. I looked at the clock on the nightstand beside my bed; it was 7:00. Way too early to get up. I went back to sleep.

_I was in a huge columned room. All around me it was white. The room seemed to stretch on forever, never ending._

_However vast and interesting the room was though, my attention was immediately drawn to the tangle of yarn criss-crossing and zigzagging around the room. The main concentration of it was directly behind a little girl on a dais with a huge loom. But then the girl changed to a middle-aged woman. A few seconds later, an old crone. Each female did something with the yarn; measure, snip, weave, measure snip, weave._

_I stood there who knows how long, completely transfixed by the process. That is, until I was snapped out of it by a woman as tall as I was, with just as dark hair. Only she had blue eyes and wasn't in her underwear. She wore jeans and a wife beater tank top. On her hip she wore a sword. A BIG sword. It kind of glowed too._

_She folded her arms over her chest, "Hello, I'm Eve, and if you don't quite staring at my sword I'll have to hurt you."_

_I looked her up and down, knowing I really didn't have it in me to fight. But I _never _let a threat go unchallenged._

_Eve suddenly smiled brightly, "Ah, about time I get someone who doesn't cower!" She looked over her shoulder, "those are the Fates, they want to talk to you."_

_I looked back at the weaver, the crone this time. "Wait, the Fates? Where the hell am I?"_

_Eve rolled her shoulder distractedly, "In the afterlife." She saw my expression and added, "But you're not dead."_

_I nodded like I understood and walked up to the middle-aged woman who cut the yarn. Eve walked beside me._

"_Eve," the crone's voice was… weird. I don't know how else to describe it. "You may go. We will—"_

_She changed into the little girl and continued to talk— as if nothing happened- in that weird voice. Only it was higher this time, "—summon you later to talk about another job."_

_Eve grimaced and turned to me, "Sorry kid, gotta go," and she disappeared._

_I stood still, feeling uneasy. Were the Fates going to like, maybe, smite me or something for escaping death?_

_The little girl laughed in a childish voice, then became the middle-aged woman who spoke gently to me, "We do not smite people, Kaine Arden."_

"_Good to know," I muttered._

_The hag peered down from the dais at me, never stopping her weaving. The little girl spoke up, "It's almost a shame you are not dead. You would make a lovely angel."_

"_I am not sure, sister," the middle Fate said, "she is as stubborn as Eve."_

"_True, true," said the hag._

_I was getting dizzy watching them change form like that, "Umm… Fates? Could you tell me what I'm doing here?"_

"_As impatient too," the girl murmured. "You are here—"_

_The middle Fate took over, "—because you were supposed to die yesterday."_

_I barked a laugh, "Is that so? I really couldn't have guessed." Oh God, I had just sassed a Fate. That had to be a sin or something._

_They pretended not to notice my rudeness (for which I am grateful). The crone's turn, "However, you did not."_

"_My sisters and I," the little girl spoke, "revaluated your past and future. Pondering rather we—"_

"—_should force you to return to the afterlife."_

_A whole cycle of changes went by before they spoke again._

"_What lies behind is clear, However our forward—"_

_The middle-aged Fate continued, looking kindly at me, "—sight is foggy. If you stay on this path, you'll make a great contribution—"_

"—_to the werewolf world. The wrong path and you'll destroy it."_

"_So no pressure or anything," I mumbled._

_The girl peered up through her lashes, "We normally do not tell the living these things, Kaine, but you are special."_

_Hmm… getting called 'special' by a Fate, compliment or insult?_

_I though about that until the hag said I could leave now. I stared at them in incredulously, "So you brought me to the afterlife to tell me I'm allowed to live?"_

_The hag nodded and the little girl added innocently, "And that you might destroy the werewolves."_

"_Uh-huh, right. Well a Hallmark card would have sufficed." I blinked and uncrossed my arms, "So if you could just send me on back to my body, I'll… uh… get right on not annihilating the world." This whole experience was just weird. I just wanted to go back to bed and wake up next to Logan._

And I did. My eyes snapped open and there I was, curled up beside Logan, my face against his side. I looked behind me at the clock, 7:14. Figures, that whole ordeal lasted less than fifteen minutes.

I sighed, rolled over, and stretched. Logan felt me move and woke up too. He opened his eyes and looked at me with those perfect, blue orbs.

He reached over and fingered my neck. He pulled his hand back to reveal a plastic shard from Boris' cane. I grimaced, and pulled out another one, "I should go take care of this."

I threw back the covers and walked into the adjoining bathroom with only mild embarrassment at still being only in my underwear. I picked all the plastic out of my neck with the use of a mirror and a pair of tweezers that I thought belonged to Kat. Seventeen pieces went into the garbage can.

I walked back out to see Logan still in the bed. He was looking up at the ceiling. Neither of us said a word as I grabbed my bag and went back into the bathroom.

I cranked the cold water, undressed and stepped into the shower.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

As I walked back into the bedroom Logan was pulling a clean hoodie over his blond head. "Are the rest up yet?" I questioned, breaking the short silence.

Logan shook his head, "Don't think so."

"Right." We stood there uncomfortably for a moment longer. My dream flashed back suddenly, "Logan, can I ask you a couple questions?"

He nodded and sat down on the desk chair. I made the bed to keep my hands busy.

"Is it _normal_ to be taken to the Fates in a dream?"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw his eyes widen. "What?" he sputtered.

"That bad?" I sighed and sat cross-legged on the newly made bed.

Logan shook his head, "You never cease to amaze me."

I gave a half-smile, "I try my best."

His eyes took on a curious gleam, "What happened in it?"

"I'd rather only tell it once." I listened for any sign someone was awake. It sounded like a few people were just getting out of bed.

"Okay then. You said you had more questions?" He picked up the hotel pen and stationary and started doodling.

I picked at a loose red thread on my long sleeved shirt, "How long was I dead?"

At my bluntness Logan winced and set down the paper, "Long enough," he muttered gruffly. Then louder he said, "I don't know, I wasn't there when it happened." He sounded like it was entirely his fault.

I groaned dramatically, "You're not going to be one of _those_ guys are you?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Those guys?"

I rolled my eyes, "The ones that blame themselves every time their girlfriends break a nail. They're all angsty. Some guys look hot in angst, you however, do not."

He grinned, "You're my girlfriend?"

I glared, "Didn't say that."

"Of course not," he teased.

We stared at each other for a long moment, before simultaneously standing up and taking a large step across the room. Logan wrapped me in his arms, "I'm so incredibly happy you're alive."

"Me too," I murmured into his shoulder. I pulled back and looked into his ocean blue eyes. I leaned in and slowly placed my mouth on his.

When we kissed it was so much more wonderful than before. This one had so much relief and passion in it that before I knew it my hands were tangled up in his soft blond hair and his hands were pressed against my lower back. It was all so natural yet at the same time foreign.

I don't know how long we stood there kissing each other, but when Logan finally pulled back we were both panting. His mouth was in a big goofy grin (probably matching my own), and his eyes shone with excitement and something else. Standing this close I could see silver specks in his blue eyes I'd missed before, they made him even more interesting if it's possible. Along with the silver, I also saw quite a few pink, almost healed scars across his face and neck.

"Where'd these come from?" I fingered one.

"Yesterday," he answered, while tucking a stray piece of black hair behind my ear.

"At least they're almost healed," unlike mental scars, physical ones healed fast in the werewolf world. So by tomorrow all my cuts and scrapes would fade, but all my memories of William and the mutt would last forever. I shook my head to fling the thoughts out, "What happened to Sasha?"

Logan grimaced and let go of me to grab a note from the desk, "He ran away before we could get him, he left this."

I took the note from his hand. Most of it was in Russian, something I hoped Roman would translate for me later. The rest though, was in rough, badly shaped English;

_Kaine,  
Forgive my actions, please. I had reasoning at the time, though I never have hope for you to understand. Perhaps if we met again I try to explain to you. Know your parents loved you greatly and that I am so very sorry for your parent's death, he was brother to me, and she my sister.  
Sasha_

"That bastard," I growled.

Logan rubbed my shoulder sympathetically, "We'll get him. And if we can't find him before we leave, I'm sure the Russians will hunt for him."

I grunted and threw the note on the desk. "Let's go get breakfast before everyone wakes up. I don't feel like sitting still." It was true, I was fidgety and hungry, a dangerous combination for a werewolf.

He grinned, "How about a run instead, maybe catch a rabbit, stretch our legs?"

"There's a forest in Manchester?" I asked sarcastically.

"No, but I'm sure we could find one somewhere." He smiled and tugged on a piece of blue hair, "Come on, I know you haven't Changed in a while."

I really needed to learn how to resist that smile, "Sure, why not. Better than Changing in the middle of our flight back."

Logan leaned down and planted a quick kiss on my lips, then bounced away, "No one can refuse my charm."

I laughed and used my legs to swipe his out from under him. He crashed to the floor and was up before I knew he was down, "Yup, no one."

He glared at me and started toward me, only stopping when Hope's voice floated in the room, "You are so right! They are so cute together!"

Logan's and my head both whipped around to see Hope laughing with Kat. I blushed and glared. I'm pretty sure Logan did the same.

"Sorry to interrupt you guys, but mom and dad want you in the dining room," Kat winked at us and her and Hope turned around and left. I quickly followed, not bothering to see if Logan was following. When we entered the dining room, I noticed everyone was awake and waiting.

"How are you, Kaine?" Roman asked. His eyes were bloodshot. I looked at the twins and noticed the same expression, only their eyes were red and puffy also. They looked like they'd been crying, probably because of Sasha.

"I'm… okay," I answered, flashbacks from my captivity flipping through my head.

"Good," Elena responded.

Jeremy spoke up from where he was standing, "Kaine, if you could tell us what happened?"

I nodded, took a deep breath, and started in on my story starting from where I had gotten in the Mutt's car. I ended it when I reentered my body after I'd died.

As soon as I finished, Kat leaned forward across the table we were all seated at enthusiastically and asked, "What was it like to be dead?"

Logan grumbled and shot Kat a look, "Do we really need to talk about this?" he muttered.

I ignored him, "I don't know, it was… different. I couldn't really feel much."

Kat nodded, "When we get back to Stonehaven I'd like to ask you some questions, for my notes."

"I thought you already asked Lucas and Paige about their experience, why do you have to talk to Kaine?" Logan whined. Geesh, he really is too overprotective.

His twin glared at him, "But they're of the magical races, not a werewolf. Besides, it's fresh in Kaine's mind." Logan glared back and they launched into an argument.

"Kaine," Elena said, breaking my attention from the twins, "Do you know what he gave you?"

"No idea, but it hurt like hell," I grimaced at the memory. Then I noticed the look on their faces, "Why? You think it could still be in my body?"

Jeremy nodded, "It's possible."

Elena leaned toward me and sniffed the air by my neck, "You do smell different."

I groaned, "Great. Just freaking great."

"Don't worry, if it hasn't killed you yet, I doubt it will," Nick piped in.

"Gee, thanks," I grumbled.

Nick grinned.

Elena spoke up, "You should pack, we're leaving at noon for the airport."

"Can I take a run first? I need to Change." Since Logan brought it up, I realized just how long it really had been. And it sounded _really_ good right now.

The Pack Alpha nodded her head, "It's eight now, you have time."

I sensed we were being dismissed to do as we wanted, but I still hadn't talked about my dream. "One last thing," I said, calling attention back unto me.

"Yes?"

"I- I had this dream last night. I woke up in this huge white room with this woman named Eve staring at me," At the mention of Eve, several people's interest levels went up a notch. "She said the Fates needed to talk to me," I kept talking, but nothing came out. Not a sound. The people in the room looked at me weirdly.

"Kaine?" Logan asked me. Jeremy had his head titled, but with a knowing look, like he had already half worked out what was going on.

"Yeah?" I said, with actual volume. No one said anything. "Why can't I talk about it?" I looked around the room.

Before anyone could answer, a phone started to ring. Kat pulled a cell phone out of her pocket and tossed it to Jeremy after checking the display, "It's for you."

He answered, "Hello Jaime."

"Hi!" a breathless female voice answered. "Hang on, I'm telling him!" she hissed, I was starting to get confused. "Sorry about that. Anyway, I'm in the middle of a five-minute break in the show, so I can't talk long. Is there a," pause, "Kaine with you?"

Everyone looked at me oddly, probably thinking the same thing I was, 'what the hell has she gotten herself into now?' Jeremy said yes and tossed the phone to me, "Hello?"

"Kaine, I have a… visitor… Eve." My eyes widened slightly, and my memory flashed back to the lesson on supernaturals Kat had given me. Jaime, Jaime the necromancer? Was that who I was talking to? That would make Eve dead. Sounded sane enough for me.

"Eve? The-" my voice cut off again of its own accord.

Jaime sighed, "That'd be the one. Anyway, she wanted me to tell you that you can't talk to anyone about what you saw. It's a cosmic law thing, sorry."

"But what if it's _really_ important?" I mean, saving/destroying the werewolves falls under important right?

"They never seem to think about that, do they?" she said exasperatedly, my confusion was growing. "Sorry, but I don't know what to say. Sometimes you can find loopholes. Try that," she recommended.

"Okay, I'll work on it. Thank you, it was nice to meet you."

I could almost hear her smile, "No problem, nice to meet you too, bye!" I hung up the phone and handed it to Kat. "Okay then, I'll ah…" I trailed off, completely absent of ideas.

"You could charade it?" Kat suggested.

I looked at her like she was crazy, "There's a reason I'm not in drama club."

She mocked hurt, "I was trying to help."

"Humph."

"We can guess?" Roman spoke up from beside Elena.

I nodded unsurely, "You could try."

The werewolves looked at each other, unsure where to begin. Clayton broke the silence first, "Was it a warning or a certainty?"

"Warning."

"If you do something wrong, you'll be sucked back into the afterlife?" Nolan guessed.

"No," this was already really frustrating. I knew what they needed to say, but I couldn't help.

"One of the enemies is still alive?"

"No," besides Sasha, my eyes flickered to Roman, Lev, and Grigori. The twins had their eyes down, as if ashamed. Roman's face remained stoic.

"There's still poison coursing through your body?"

I shook my head and looked around the room helplessly. All that was in the room was a painting of a wolf on the wall (kind of ironic), another picture of Einstein, and a vase full of flowers. There really wasn't much to help here. I thought of retrieving a pen and paper and try writing it, but I figured it would probably combust or something.

"Whatever mutations they did on you still haven't shown?"

"No."

"Are we close?" Kat asked, patience wearing thin.

"Not even in the right ballpark." Something, there had to be something I could use. Then my wonderful, lovely brain thought up the million dollar idea, if only it would work. I walked past half the room's occupants to the wall with the wolf painting. I took it down and threw it to Logan, then moved over a bit to get the Einstein one. I put both pictures on the table, and then looked down on them, trying to figure out what to do next. "Okay, let's see. Oh! Okay, what are we?"

"Werewolves?" Nolan answered a little unsure. The question was so easy, I would have done the same.

"Yup," I grinned. Then I took my finger and made a big X on the painting of the wolf. I looked up at the faces around me expectantly.

"Kill a wolf?"

I shook my head and gestured around the room.

"Kill a werewolf."

"Close," I exaggerated a slow circle with my arm at the people in the room.

"Kill all of us?" Clay growled.

"Good. What'd Einstein do?" Maybe this would work.

"E=MC2?"

"Invented the atom bomb?"

"Think broader," I coaxed.

"He was a scientist."

"He added a basis of knowledge to the scientific community of the time," Clay said, going all PhD on us.

"But he did what? Begins with a c-," I managed to get the first sound of the 'c' out before I was cut off.

They thought for a moment before Lev said something in Russian. I had been too preoccupied to realize Roman was translating our conversation.

Roman turned to us English folks, "He say 'contributions'."

My face lit up in a smile, "Leave it to the Russian speaking guy. Yeah, that's right. Now put it all together."

"Someone is going to kill all the werewolves?"

"Or…" we were almost there.

"Make a contribution!"

"Yes!"

"But who?" Logan looked at me.

I looked down ashamed, trying to think fast. If I told them the truth, that_ I_ had to make the choice, I could only imagine what would happen. If it was a choice between my life and every other werewolf, I didn't have much doubt at what would be decided. But I had two options didn't I? To save the werewolves or kill them. But would they trust me to make the right one? Did I trust myself? Maybe it was selfish, but I had this weird wish of wanting to continue my life.

So, with a quick decision that would undoubtedly come back to bite me in the ass, I shrugged in an ineloquent gesture of 'I don't know'.

Everyone in the room sighed. Some following with a variation of, "That's all you know?"

I nodded, "They just wanted to warn me."

A few moments of silence followed during which everyone digested what they had learned. Elena looked around the room and then her eyes passed again over me, "Go for your run. We should tie up our loose ends and head for the airport."

I'm pretty sure that was code for: leave, we have to talk about stuff you shouldn't hear. As much as I wanted to know what would be said, I was starting to sweat, a sure sign of an imminent Change.

One last look at all the unreadable faces in the room and I turned to leave. When I made it about ten feet, I heard footsteps behind me and smelled the wonderfulness of Logan. He fell into step beside me. We were quiet as we headed out to the main lobby to the street outside. As we passed through the lobby though, the door behind the check-in counter was open. The owner sat inside, watching a small T.V.

"A historic mansion three hours outside Manchester burnt down late last night. It was currently occupied by a large family of the surname Jonson. All fourteen members were killed in the fire. The local fire chief is ruling it as an accident, a severed gas pipe that was accidently ignited…" The woman reporter droned on. A picture of the house I was held captive in flashed on the screen. It changed to one of the same house burnt to the ground.

I looked at Logan, who nodded at my unasked question. Yes, they had been the ones to catch the house on fire, to cover up their tracks. I couldn't even find it in myself to care. Those mutts deserved what they got.

Without another glance at the T.V., I hurried outside, eager to find some woods. Since I had no idea what car keys Logan had, I let him lead me to the blue SUV I was taken back to the hotel in yesterday. He waved the keys in front of my face and raised an eyebrow, "You wanna drive?"

"No, I don't know if I even could." I should never have waited this long. I was way too close to Changing for my comfort.

Logan nodded his head, opened the passenger door for me, and jogged around the car, sensing the urgency in my voice. He wasted no time in pulling away from the curb, and speeding away from the center of the city. I pulled my jacket off, getting too hot. My muscles were getting twitchy and I was panting from the heat.

"Just calm down and focus on _not_ Changing. It shouldn't be that hard to find some trees," Logan said soothingly.

I looked around and spotted a business owner unlocking her clothing shop for the day. "Logan, pull over and ask that lady. Tell her we're looking for a camping spot."

With the common male grunt of complaint at asking directions, Logan complied and pulled over to the curb. He hoped out and approached the woman who looked up in curiosity at the sound of the car door opening.

"Excuse me ma'am. My girlfriend and I were wondering if you could tell us where the nearest campsite is," Logan kept his distance from the middle-aged woman, but was nothing but polite, something I was sure he didn't learn from his father.

The lady looked past him to me, I managed to control my muscles long enough to give a polite wave. "There's a park about fifteen miles south, if you're just looking for some fresh air. The nearest forest is quite a bit farther I'm afraid."

Logan smiled, "Thank you, we appreciate your time." Then he half jogged over to the SUV and practically floored the gas when he looked at me.

I managed a ragged laugh, "Oh come on, I can't look that bad."

He grimaced, "Well if I could say you did without getting hurt, I'd tell you the truth, that you look awful." My boy wonder looked around helplessly. "Don't you ever go this long in between Changes ever again. It only makes things more painful and harder. If this wasn't a damn rental, I'd park the car and tell you to Change in the back."

Rolling my eyes, I said, "Jesus Logan, I'll be fine. It'll be like five more minutes. Three if you don't slow down."

He grunted and remained silent. Finally, just when I thought I'd literally burst, I saw the tops of trees. Then we crested a little hill and I saw a broad expanse of green grass and some bare trees. Trails cut through the thin trees, until towards the back the trunks thickened into almost a forest. Logan parked in the lot and ran to my door. He helped me out and to hobble to a trail. Luckily, at this early in the morning, there were only a couple joggers, all of whom we managed to avoid.

We finally managed to get to the thicker section of trees. Once we got pretty far in, I promptly stripped to my underwear and cammi. At which point I glared at Logan until he got the message to turn around. I finished undressing and dropped to my knees just as I started to vomit.

My back arched and my bones started to crackle. Fingers changed into claws and dug into the cold, hard earth. My skin itched as black hair sprouted out. I cried out in pain and Logan shhh-ed me from a few feet away. As the last few bones in my body changed into those of a wolf, I collapsed. My tongue lolled out and I lay on the frosty ground, trying to work up enough energy to move.

"I'm turning around," Logan warned me. I had to work to understand what he was saying. I guess my wolf brain wasn't fluent in English. When he turned around to see me, his face lit up in a grin. I cocked my head in a 'what?' sort of way.

He laughed and shook his head, "You just look so cute with those big eyes."

I growled and lifted up my lip in a snarl as if to say, 'Yes, and my fangs are pretty cute too.'

He gestured to some trees a couple yards away, "I'm going to go Change. Be out in a minute."

I grunted and closed my eyes for a minute or two. It must have been longer than that though, because I woke up to Logan nudging me in my shoulder with his wet nose. Quietly growling at being woken up, I forced my joints to cooperate long enough to get me standing. The blonde wolf in front of me nipped at my legs and then bounded back, then did the same again.

The third time he tried it, I leaped on him and managed to gently bite the soft flesh of his stomach. He squirmed until I let go and shot off like a rocket. Before I could even think about it, I was speeding after him. I saw his yellow tail swinging in through the brush and pushed myself harder. My feet were flying over the ground, jumping over logs, taking me far faster than I'd ever run before. The fact that there were people only a mile away hardly even registered in my mind.

I was free. No more being stuffed into a classroom with kids who were scared of me. No more fighting people that I could beat hands down. No more getting strapped to lab tables. No more little brother to worry about when he came home with bruises for being a nerd.

I stopped dead in my tracks, locking my forelegs to slow me down. What was I thinking? "No more little brother." How could I be happy with this? William was one of my only friends. Sure he was a pain in the ass sometimes, but he was theoretically my flesh and blood.

While I was struggling with my conscious, Logan came back and sat on his haunches in the middle of my line of sight, looking at me curiously. Probably wondering why I had cut our game of tag short.

I was just about to pantomime that nothing was wrong when the wind shifted. The chilly breeze brought with it a scent I knew too freaking well. Logan caught it too and his hackles rose.

Following Logan's lead, we stalked downwind and followed the bastard's scent. A few times we came pretty close to a trail that a jogger was running, but for the most part, we stayed in the middle of the large patch of trees.

The trail stopped at a small clearing. Inside was a very built yellow wolf. As he turned, I caught a few patches of gray fur. He was standing over something. Something disgustingly human shaped. My brain took no time at all in registering the fact that there was a dead, bloody, woman at Sasha's paws. She was in a jogging suit with her brown hair pulled back into a pony tail. At her throat was a massive gash that had practically severed her head from her shoulders. A few other parts of her were also torn, as if something had been gnawing on her. Even my wolf self gagged at the realization Sasha was in the middle of breakfast.

I let out an involuntary snarl before I could stop myself, Sasha's head whipped around to face me. His muzzle was the most awful shade of red, with pink froth bubbling from his lips. His eyes almost glowed and were a scary color of silver. Look up the definition of rabid in the dictionary, and you'd see a picture of Sasha.

Meal forgotten, he charged Logan and I. Logan tackled me from the left just as Sasha would have bowled into me. Logan jumped off of me and crouched in between me and Sasha. I shouldered him aside to look at the obviously very sincere (sarcasm implied) man who had written that apology Logan had shown me. I mean really, was he that dumb that he couldn't even think to leave the country before dinning?

Said man growled at me more feraly than I'd ever heard from anything before and leaped. That was when I came to the conclusion that Sasha was very much so insane. Here Logan and I are, two werewolves in our prime, and he decides to just pounce away at us. So, as you likely suspect, we met the attack head on. Well, Logan did anyway, right after he shoved me away. It was so unexpected that I rolled and sprung back up ready to fight the wrong wolf. I quickly regained my thoughts and decided later rather than now would be a better time to cuss out Logan for trying to protect me.

I set about looking for an opening where I could get to Sasha. You would know how hard that task was if you've ever seen a dog fight. Only werewolf fights are much faster and brutal than that. And then to add to my dilemma, both fighters were blond, making it incredibly hard to identify them from only flashes of recognizable features.

During my futile quest, Sasha was able to get the upper hand. For, as it turns out, sometimes blind rage is a good tactic. Sasha pinned Logan under his weight, and bit his underbelly. Seeing my opening, I tackled him off of Logan so we sailed clear into the underbrush. But as I did so, Sasha tore out that chunk of flesh from him. An earsplitting howl echoed through the small wood and it broke my heart to hear it. If I didn't have enough excuses before to kill Sasha, I sure did now.

We landed and rolled to get back up onto our paws. I'd never fought in wolf form, so I didn't go for anything fancy, hoping the rage thing would work for me too. So through my red tinted vision I leaped at Sasha. Instead of dodging like I would have, he jumped at me like I expected. I managed a glancing grab of my teeth at his throat before we crashed back to earth. I was almost instantly pinned beneath his weight like Logan, but I was able to squirm loose before he could bite me.

I'd barely regained my footing before he attacked me again. I dodged and grabbed his hind leg in my jaws. I yanked and he fell to the ground only to copy me and bite my leg. The unexpected pain caused me to yowl and let go of my grip. Sasha stood up and this time I was yanked to the ground. All I had to do was feint towards his injured leg and he let go of mine to jump away.

God that hurt like an SOB! I could feel warm blood trickling down the fur and it buckled if I put too much weight on it. My only consolation was that it seemed to be hurting Sasha just as much. I couldn't give it time to get any worse. I growled and circled Sasha once before feinting at his side. He didn't react like I'd planned and instead went straight for me. I quickly angled myself so that I could reach in between his paws and grab his neck when he got to me.

Sasha entered in the small target area where I could kill him. I lifted my paws to scratch him and to bide time before I could get my muzzle up. My head turned upwards and clamped around his throat, I ripped it from his neck with a surprisingly instinctive twist and shake of my head. Blood went _everywhere_.

His limp form slumped to the ground and I sat back, looking at it. I guess I was kind of in shock that I had killed something that was once just like me 'cause the only thing running through my canine brain at this point was 'huh, well that's gonna leave one helluva mark in the morning.' Only Sasha wasn't going to wake up in the morning. I had killed him, solved the problem, dug his grave, terminated him, kicked his bucket for him, a bunch of other phrases that all meant I had ended a human being's life.

Honestly though, when I caught another whiff of the dead jogger, I can't say I regretted doing it. Sasha had caused so many problems, ended so many lives (almost my own too) that he deserved it.

I didn't stay around his body long enough for any more contemplation to take place because with the smell of the jogger came a whimper from Logan. I limped back to where he was last and found him almost human. I averted my eyes for the last Changes to take place and when I looked back he was curled into a ball, with his back facing me. I hobbled the last few paces and nudged his back with my nose.

"Go Change Kaine, I'm fine," he sure as hell didn't sound _fine_. I was about to argue that I wouldn't leave him when I realized I wouldn't be of any help without opposable thumbs. So I hightailed it- as much as you can with a bum leg- back to my clothes (turns out we hadn't really gone very far) and commenced my Change.

Since I was rushing it hurt a lot worse than it should have, but I had no choice. The minute I was done I barely stopped for breath before pulling on my jeans and sports bra, then my cammi; all of which was done on the ground because it hurt to stand on my left leg. I grabbed a stick from nearby and used it as a crutch. I shuffled over to Logan's pants and flung them over my shoulder after I grabbed the cell from the pocket.

Wasting no time, I dialed as I hobbled back to Logan. "Logan?" a man answered over the phone.

"Antonio!" he was the first name in Logan's address book that was Pack. "Logan, he's hurt. We ran in to Sasha in the park, he got bit in the stomach." Almost there, I could here Logan moaning.

"Kaine, where are you?" He was speaking calmly to me even as I could hear him move the phone away from his mouth to bark orders at someone.

"At a park," I racked my brain for a name or address, "Somewhere at the edge of Manchester." Since I couldn't remember seeing a name, I went for the next best thing, "From the hotel take a left, right, right, drive through the light, left, drive through four stop signs, another left, another light, one more stop sign, and then turn right into the park entrance. We're back in the wooded section."

"Good Kaine, we're on our way." He hung up even as I heard the front door slam.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

I knelt down at Logan's side and handed him his pants, wishing to god he'd be strong enough to pull them on himself. "Antonio and the Pack are on their way. Just hang on." I murmured to him and brushed some hair off his face.

"Mutt, is he dead?" Logan gasped.

I nodded feverishly, "Very."

"Good," he moaned.

I looked around helplessly. Injured people were not my forte and right now I had not a clue as to what I should be doing. "Move your hand," I finally ordered, and gently pried his hand away from his stomach. The wound was horrific, and I really don't consider myself a squeamish person. Blood cascaded from the long tear in his skin and I smelled the sickening stench of bile from his intestines. I really thought I would pass out.

Logan closed his eyes and I slapped his cheek a bit harder than necessary, "Don't you dare close your eyes, Logan. The Pack is almost here." I took his jeans that he wasn't putting on and ripped off a leg. I bunched the thick material on his wound and tied another strip of jean around his waist to hold it on. That's what you were supposed to do for things like this wasn't it? Bandage it to staunch the flow? God I hoped so.

He blinked slowly, "Did you kill the mutt?"

I frowned and my eyes teared up further, "Logan, you already asked that. Yes, he's dead."

He smiled sheepishly before his face contorted into pain again, "Oops, I forgot." And then he did something that if- no _when_- he recovered I'd tease him about for the rest of his life; he giggled like a little girl. Upon hearing that, I also giggled, which in seconds transformed into hysterical laughter. I only sobered up when I heard some crashing in the trees. I managed to pull myself up onto my feet and drop into a ready fighting stance. Although, honestly, I _know_ I couldn't have done much damage against anyone who wished me harm; human or supernatural.

"Kaine, it's just us," I heard a familiar voice to my left and almost collapsed in relief.

"Kat? Over here," I croaked and limped back to Logan. A split-second later five shadows fell over me and a sixth person hugged my shoulders and guided me away from Logan. I looked into Kat's eyes, "He's dying," I whispered.

Kat's eyes were watery as she looked over my shoulder to where Jeremy, Nick and Morgan worked over Logan. Elena and Clay were scoping the forest. She looked back to me, "They're taking him to a supernatural hospital. Cabal owned."

"Cabal?" irrelevant question, but I needed to take my mind off Logan.

Kat looked grateful for the brief reprieve of worrying too, "Cabal's are big supernatural organizations run by sorcerers. Lucas' dad runs one and pulled some strings for us. It's the best treatment Logan could possibly have."

XXXXXXXXXX

An hour later, I sat on a scratchy vinyl chair in a fakely cheery lobby. I got up and started to pace, again. Less than two hours ago I had suffered a leg injury so severe most of the time it requires amputation, yet I could already walk. Even a normal werewolf shouldn't have been up and going so soon. Meaning it was probably something to do with my fucked-up genes.

Just like me winning against Sasha. There was no way in hell I should have been able to do that. According to a near heartbroken, yet totally composed, Roman, Sasha had been one of their best fighters. And me, being very inexperienced in werewolf fighting, shouldn't have stood a chance against him. So again, thanks ado to wonky genetic engineering.

And for all the help my genes did, they still couldn't help me save Logan. He was in surgery now; they were trying to stitch up some internal wounds. According to a conversation I overheard between the doctor and a nurse, he had a less than fifty percent chance of making it, even with his werewolf healing.

"Kaine, sit down, you're making the other patients nervous," Antonio rebuffed me. Funny, he didn't say a word to Clay or Elena when they practically went on a rampage through the hospital when we first arrived. Ever since the other supernaturals in the hospital found out what we were, we were practically given a whole wing to ourselves. The only ones brave enough to come close were a young boy and one of the doctors. The boy barely even saw us before being whisked away by his mother. And the doctor was only there because he was being commanded to by the person who signed his paycheck.

I grudgingly sat and grabbed a magazine without bothering to check the title. I furiously flipped through the pages without reading any of them, and then threw the magazine back onto the table. I growled softly and slid down into my seat. I made it a minute before resuming my pacing.

My leg would twinge every couple steps, but the pain actually managed to clear my head. I had already lost William, no freakin' way I'd let Logan die too. If he did, _I'd_ haunt _him_ in his afterlife.

"Mr. Danvers is out of surgery, you can see him in his room now," a guy in green scrubs informed us. The sad part? I don't think any of us even heard him coming that's how distressed we were.

Before he finished his sentence, Elena, Clay, Kat, Jeremy, me, Nick, and Antonio were jogging to room 48D, in that order. It took all my willpower to let Elena and them go before me, and I managed, until Nick, who I promptly cut off. In probably hospital record speed, we got to Logan's room in under a minute.

He was so pale, so weak and fragile. His eyelids were closed but you could see his blue orbs flitting around underneath them in restless sleep. An IV dripped into his wrist and his midsection was bulkier because of all the bandaging. As I looked at Logan's prone form, I could hear Jeremy talking to the doctor outside the room.

"Sir, just because he's out of surgery doesn't give him a hundred percent chance of making it. Far from it," if the doc kept saying stuff like that then I'd make sure _he _didn't have a hundred percent chance of making it.

"What are the odds?" Jeremy's calm voice helped to soothe my nerves some.

"Fifty-fifty, what with the posibility of infection and the severity of the wound. Still, he's young, and with a werewolf's healing capabilities, his chances are a lot better than a human's."

Jeremy must have dismissed him because they stopped talking.

Elena was holding one of her son's hands, and Clay held her. Kat sat on the other side of Logan and also had his hand. I felt out of place. I wanted to touch Logan so bad, but I felt so intrusive. Sure I was his mate, but these people were his family. I knew him for a month, they knew him for seventeen years. So I sat in a corner chair and watched the scene in front of me, completely at a loss of what to do.

After a minute of that, Kat looked up and around the room until her eyes landed on me. She lifted her free hand and beckoned to me with her index finger. I stood up slowly and walked over next to her. Kat whispered, "Take my seat, I'll be right back." Then she turned and left the small room.

I folded Logan's hand into my own and didn't even realize any time had passed until Kat came back. I made a move to stand but she pushed my shoulder down and knelt down beside her brother's bed instead. With all the Pack crowded around one gorgeous, blue eyed, blonde haired boy, I'm sure we made quite the spectacle from the window that took up a whole wall overlooking the hallway.

And with a short spark of brain activity, it occurred to me that I was part of this family now too. I, Kaine Arden, former mutt, was part of probably the oddest, weirdest, and awesome-est family in America. I was Pack.

XXXXXXXXXX

Five days later we all stood in front of a large building in a parking lot, airplanes taking off of the airstrip behind us. The Russian Pack members- Roman, Lev and Grigori- were here also to say their goodbyes.

Elena and Roman stood slightly off to the side and whispered under their breath so no one could here them. Not that it really mattered since us English speaking folks seemed to be playing charades with our Russian counterparts.

"I think that means thank you," Logan interpreted one of Lev's hand gestures. Logan had taken all of five days to heal from a deadly wound. The doctors didn't know rather they wanted to keep him there to study or throw him out ASAP; he was after all, a werewolf. Lucky for them they opted for option number two. Logan was fine except for some scaring and bruises. Even the scares would fade almost away in a matter of days. So all was well in the corner of my life labeled 'Logan: Pain in thy Ass.'

"Thank you," I told them. I mean, the mutt's demise was due partly to the twins and their pyrotechnics. This, as I learned earlier, was how we got away with blowing up the UK's mansion.

Grigori nodded and him and his twin stepped forward and gave me a bone crushing hug like I was some long lost sister. Well I guess I probably was their cousin or something. They also hugged Kat and shook all the men's hands, except for Clay's of course.

Our Alphas joined us again. Roman also tried to crush my lungs in a hug, "Kaine, thank you for helping us get rid of mutt." He released his grip and stared me in my eyes.

"My pleasure, and thank _you_," I amended.

Roman gently took my elbow and guided me away from everyone else as him and Elena had done a few minutes earlier. "Logan told me you wanted rest of note Sasha left interpreted. I not sure you will after I tell you, but I owe this much. In nut bomb," I almost laughed at Roman's misuse of the American metaphor for 'nutshell', "he confess he kill your parents. Your father found out Sasha worked for Boris, and mother just got in way."

My face fell from the happy smile it was molded into earlier into a frown. Can't say I didn't expect it, I just didn't want to hear it. "Thank you Roman. Thank you so much."

He nodded and patted my cheek in a grandfatherly way. "I sorry you had to hear that."

I shrugged, "I didn't know them anyways. It shouldn't bother me."

From his gaze I knew he was thinking, '_it shouldn't, but it does.'_ Instead of saying it though, he merely smiled at me, "You welcome to visit our Pack whenever you want, Kaine, would be honor."

Briefly I wondered if I had any relatives I was missing out on, but decided not to go down that path, not yet. "I hope everything went well with your son."

Roman's smile darkened, "Me as well."

We ambled back to our respective Packs and said one final goodbye before we Americans entered the airport with our baggage. The Russian's were going to stay in England for a few more days and tie up some loose ends. Then they'd fly back to Russia in their private plane. Turns out, they were pretty rich.

Logan playfully bumped into me, "So, SuperWolf, what are you gonna do when we get home?" He might have framed it playfully, but I knew he was really worried we wouldn't get to see each other again. I had the same fear too.

I kept my eyes straight ahead, "I have to talk to my parents." I had spent my time in the hospital with Logan going back and forth between worrying about him and my parents when they found out their only son was dead.

Logan looked down on me sympathetically, and I had to wonder if he had ever had to tell someone their son was dead. Probably not, the Pack wasn't much for sending flowers to mutts' families. He threw his bag on the luggage checker and I followed suit. "Maybe you should stay at our house for a night and get some rest before seeing them," Logan offered, and although it was tempting to just put it off for another day, I knew it was better to get things done now rather than later.

I shook my head, "I can't do that. It has to be done now."

He nodded solemnly and we grabbed our bags off the belt and bought our tickets at the counter. It was surprisingly quick compared to our last plane trip. We sat in a cramped, smelly room to wait for our flight. Luckily, there were only about seven humans in there with us.

Noah turned to Kat (they sat across from Logan and I) and told her news I could see she'd been dying to hear forever, "Alex will be visiting tomorrow from Africa."

Kat's eyes sparkled, but she kept her face straight ahead, never looking up from the book she was reading, "Really? Why?"

I almost laughed as she tried to keep a straight face. Noah nodded, "Yeah, I don't know why, though. Probably just to visit." He shrugged and returned to his Sports Illustrated.

Kat was fidgety for the rest of the hour we were made to sit there waiting for our plane. Logan and I really didn't talk. It wasn't one of those awkward silences some people get when no one talked. It was a comfortable one where no one was pressured to say anything, it was nice.

Finally, our plane was ready to take off and we boarded. This time Nick and I were sitting next to each other, Logan sat a couple rows back and in the next row over next to Morgan.

"How's the leg?" Nick asked with a sly smile that never really leaves his face. Our plane had been in the air for twenty minutes.

I flexed it, "Good, completely healed."

Nick nodded, "That's good. The way you've been going, you're gonna need it," he smiled.

I grimaced, "Gee, thanks."

He chuckled, "Well really, you've had more enemies in the month you've been a werewolf than most people have in their entire lives."

I smiled sweetly, "I try my hardest." We were silent for a half an hour. Then I asked, really quietly, with my eyes down at my hands, "What happened to William?"

Nick hesitated, "the Russians are going to take him back with them and bury him in their cemetery."

I was surprised, "Their cemetery? William was on the bad guy side, why'd they honor him?"

Nick looked at me strangely, "He died defending you, and he's your brother. They really like you Kaine; for reasons unbeknownst to me."

I swatted his arm. Usually I don't interact with people well (I've been told on many the occasion my people skills suck), but Nick was a really easy person to talk to. Not like the general population. "I wonder how my parents are going to take it," I murmured under my breath.

Nick, however, still heard me, "They'll be pissed and heartbroken and in shock among other emotions." Something in his voice was… off.

"You sound like you've experienced it," I prodded, not really expecting anything to come of it.

He looked down at his folded hands on his lap and said quietly, "I have. My son, a few years ago."

"You had a son? I'm so sorry," sure I had wanted to know, but I was in over my head. I don't do well with emotions, mine or anyone else's.

Nick nodded, "It was against the rules, but sometimes I'd let Dominic see his mother," he looked at me and quickly added, "Jeremy knew of course. Anyways, we were there at Sam's house for the day, but I got a call to get to the office right away. I asked Sam to watch him for a couple hours. He was only nine, he shouldn't have gotten into trouble." Nick paused and took a shaky breath, "When I got back there were ambulances and Jeremy was waiting. Turns out Dominic had slipped into the neighbors dog pen were they had a Rottweiler. His scent messed with the dog's brain and it mauled him. He died in the backyard."

I remained in total shocked silence. What happened to his son was horrible. "I- I'm so sorry," I stammered.

Nick smiled at me and suddenly that easy smile of his was back on his face, "It happened a while ago, I'm fine now."

I really hoped so because in no freaking way was I knowledgeable in the Art of Comforting Grieving Werewolves Who had Lost a Son to Mauling. You see, I skipped that class last semester.

For the next six hours I would doze off and on. When I was awake I'd talk to Nick or eat some snacks I'd managed to sneak onboard. Thankfully, it was a pretty uneventful flight. We flew into the Albany airport at 11:00 that night. Nick, Antonio, Reese, and Noah left for their estate from the airport parking lot. And then Hope, Karl, and Morgan also left to their respective homes.

After much internal debating, I decided it would probably be better to wait until morning to talk to my parents because no doubt they'd be sleeping. Besides, tomorrow was Saturday and they'd be home most of the day. So Elena, Clay, Jeremy, Logan, Kat, and I loaded into two vehicles and drove back to Stonehaven. It took almost two hours to get there, and by the time we did my butt was so numb I'd thought it'd fall off.

I'm almost positive that as soon as we walked in that door we all went to bed. I know it took me all I had to walk up the steps into the spare room before collapsing.  
_

_I'm strapped to a lab table and I can't move an inch. The poison's coursing through my body and I can't do a thing to stop it. Nothing. I am helpless._

_Boris' face comes into view and he smiles at me. I struggle against the impossibly tight restraints. Then I open my mouth to try to use my never-ending sarcasm as an advantage. But I can't talk, not a sound._

_My next pleasant surprise was William. He hovers right on the edge of my vision with a big-ass needle. "Hold still Kaine." He growls at me before shoving the needle under my skin. I try to scream, it hurt so bad, way worse than any needle should have._

_William comes farther into my line of sight, "Don't scream Kaine, it's your fault I'm here; you and your stupid Pack's. It's all your fault I'm dead." And then suddenly I am looking at his corpse, the one I'd refused to look at as we left the lab. It is bruised and battered and one of his eyes is missing where Boris' cane had entered his skull. A stream of blood pulses from the hole and it is worse than anything I have ever seen. Worse even than Logan's wound._

_I start to cry; part in frustration and part in pure sorrow. My sobs are silent although that does nothing to stop the tears until they are literally drowning me._

_I cough and splutter and try my hardest to stop the flow, but I just can't. Every time I look at William they flow faster. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to stop them. But I am dying. I am drowning in my own tears. I open my eyes again and start to thrash my hardest. But I can't._

_William smiles softly above me, "Don't fight Kaine. You know it's your fault. You deserve to die."_

_And I do. I suffocate on my own tears of sorrow.  
__

I woke up coughing and screaming. Weird combination, but I did. And for the briefest, almost most horrible seconds of my life I thought my dream was true and I really was drowning. Then I opened my eyes and instead of William I saw Logan.

"Kaine? Kaine, wake up," he coaxed, shaking my shoulder.

I sat up with a gasp, running right into his bare chest. Under any other circumstance I would have blushed and fully enjoyed the experience. This time however, I was totally oblivious to any and all emotions it produced. "William, he-he was r-right there. I-I was dr-drowning."

Logan gently pushed me back down onto the bed and sat on the edge, stroking my hair. "Calm down, it was a dream."

I knew it was a damn dream, but it still freaked me out beyond comparison of anything I'd ever seen. I breathed in and out twice and decided I could speak, "I'm sorry I woke you, I'm fine now."

He hesitated then nodded and took his hand away from my face, "Do you want to talk abut it?"

Not really, but it always helped me as a child to do so, "If you really don't mind."

He shook his head and motioned for me to scoot over. I did and he climbed into bed next to me (which was not near as dirty as it sounds considering I'm pretty sure I was silently crying). Logan put his arm behind my neck and I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I-I was back in the lab," I began. "William was there and he shot something into my arm. The-then he started blaming me for his d-d-death. He changed so he looked like he did a-after he d-died. I started to cry and then I was d-drowning. I died just as you woke me up." If you need help putting into perspective just how freaked out I was I only need to tell you I had never stuttered in my life until now.

Logan rubbed my arm, "You know he'd never say that stuff to you. He loved you."

I nodded and felt embarrassed about being scared now that I'd said my dream out loud. "I know, it was just so real."

He scooted farther down into the bed and took me with him, "Go to sleep. I'll stay here if you want me to." His voice was so indifferent and I knew he was trying to hide the hope that I did, in fact, want him there. Which, of course, I did.

In answer I moved closer to him and wrapped my arm around his midsection, expertly avoiding all the bruises and still tender scars. He kissed the top of my head and we fell back to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Other than the one nightmare, I slept better last night than I had since this all started. And my morning was pretty damn good too, especially considering I woke up around eight and not my preferred noon. I felt my pillow come out from under my head and groaned. It vibrated in laughter and I cracked open an eye. My pillow turned out to be Logan's chest. I betcha they didn't sell those in Linens and Things.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," He murmured and settled back down into bed. "I just figured I should leave before Kat finds us."

I grabbed his hand and closed my eyes again. "_I _sure as hell don't care what she thinks. Besides, she'll be doing the same thing tonight with Alex," I muttered grouchily.

Logan laughed again and kissed my still closed eyelids. Boy did that get me up. I propped myself up on my elbow and tilted my head in a _what was that for?_ look. He sat up and pressed his lips against mine and suddenly I was terrified of the fact I had morning breath. Logan grinned against my lips and ran his hand through my surprisingly untangled mane of black hair.

To hell with the morning breath, I wrapped my arm around his neck and pulled him closer, still kissing. Logan rolled so he was hovering over me and opened my lips with his tongue. I very willingly let him and soon we were wrestling for dominance with our tongues. I swear that if he wasn't already shirtless I would have torn it off him. Like I said, best. Morning. Ever.

I'm really not sure how far we would have gone if Elena hadn't banged on the door and shouted, "Breakfast's ready, you two."

We both froze until I looked up at Logan and laughed; he joined in and hoped off of the bed. He gave me a brief kiss and left for his room to get some clothes. I threw on a pair of jeans and a hoodie from my old martial arts gym, brushed my hair and teeth, and peed.

I practically skipped down the stairs but pulled up short when a new scent hit my face. Then I heard laughter so I continued on my way to the sunroom, though cautiously. Inside was Jeremy, Elena, Clay, Kat, and the newcomer. The boy was probably eighteen with buzzed medium brown hair, hazel eyes, about 6' 4'' and sported a lean figure. He wore a pair of jeans and a black 'feed the children' shirt.

As I stood in the doorway and watched the scene, Logan came up behind me and wrapped his arm around my waist. "That's Alex."

"He's here awful early," I commented, and we walked into the room. Logan went up to Alex and gave him a man-hug. Then Alex turned to me, I gave a small wave, "I'm Kaine."

He smiled, "Alex."

I nodded and Elena gestured for us all to sit around the table and eat the massive amounts of food set on it. Needless to say, nothing went to waste. After we finished eating, Alex told us about his time in Africa. He was there with his doctor uncle at refugee camps, which sounded incredibly kind of him. He taught the kids how to read and write. As he went on, I could tell he was a lot like Kat; smart, protective, and quiet yet totally fierce if need be. And from his body language he was completely into her.

While I would have loved to stay and just hang around Stonehaven for the day, I needed to talk to my parents. Before I left though, I helped Elena do the dishes.

"I'm going to head home after this, try to talk to my parents," I scrubbed at a particularly hard stain.

Elena nodded and dried off a platter, "If things don't work out, just remember you're still Pack, you can stay here if you need to."

I looked up with a grateful smile, "Thank you, for every thing. You didn't have to help me but you did. So thanks."

She shrugged, "Logan would have went regardless, probably with Kat, so it was either send us all or watch my kids get killed." She grinned, "Besides, you've grown on me."

I laughed and washed the last plate, then rinsed them all, handing them to Elena to dry. I was mopping up the counters when she tapped me on my arm. I looked up and she handed me a little envelope. "Those are from Roman and my Pack, a birthday present." My birthday, which was what? A week ago? I had completely forgotten.

Confused, I opened it and pulled out two plane tickets to Russia. "Oh wow," I breathed. "Thank you, so much."

Elena smiled, and walked back to the sunroom, her almost white blond ponytail swinging.

XXXXXXXXXX

I took a big breath, released it, and took another. Then I reached for the key above the doorframe and unlocked the door, putting the key back. The door opened soundlessly and I stepped inside to the dimly lit living room.

"Mom? Dad?" I called. A second later my dad's familiar face peeked around the corner. When he saw me a huge smile lit his face.

"Kaine!" he strode across the floor and hugged me hard. I squeezed back, already feeling guilty. He let go and over his shoulder I saw my mom come up from the basement. She smiled too until she looked behind me, then she frowned. She had already noticed William's absence.

"Kaine, you're home." She gave me a sad excuse for a hug, "Where's your brother?"

I kept my face neutral and walked over to the couch where I perched on the edge of a cushion. My parents found seats across from me. "He," my voice cracked and I restarted, "he's dead."

They froze. My dad with the smile he greeted me with still on his face, and my mom's slight frown. "I don't understand," my dad faltered, still with that stupid smile, like he was waiting for William to burst through the doors and say "Gotcha!"

"William, he's dead," I repeated brashly. I knew if I put any emotion into it whatsoever I'd crack.

My mom shook her head forcefully and my dad replaced his smile with a puzzled look, eyebrows drawn, eyes confused, lips pursed, forehead wrinkled.

And before I could tell myself to shut up, that it wouldn't help, the whole story poured out; everything from his kidnapping to learning William's body had been taken back to Russia. By the end, both my parents were in shock, and silent tears were tracing themselves down my face.

When I couldn't stand to look at their prone forms any longer I got to my feet and walked to my room. It felt like it belonged to a different girl from a different world when I flung myself onto the bed and bawled. Like a world I no longer fit in. For the first time in weeks I was well and truly alone. And I took advantage of the missing audience to finally crack and show all my weaknesses. I cried for what felt like hours and then fell asleep to the soundtrack of my screaming mother.  
_

I woke up with a splitting headache to the ringing of the house phone. I dragged myself out of bed through the hallway to the living room. Besides the ringing, everything was creepily silent. I lifted the phone off the cradle and checked the caller ID, the number that came up was Logan's cell. As much as I knew I should answer, I just couldn't bring myself to talk to anyone yet. I grabbed the bottle of Aspirin and padded back to my room to sit on my bed.

It was nine now, and I probably wouldn't get back to sleep. I threw on some running shorts and a sweatshirt and quietly snuck out of the house. I must have jogged around our neighborhood for an hour. On my third loop I figured any more would look too suspicious so I headed back home. I jumped in the shower and by the time I got out my mom and dad were up. They were in the kitchen making some sort of breakfast.

Neither talked as they cooked (the fact that my dad was letting my mom even touch the food showed how distressed he was) and I didn't start. We ate breakfast in silence, and then I washed dishes.

We all did our own thing for the rest of the day, and it seemed like some 1920's film. There wasn't any sound whatsoever. No talking, no footsteps, no TV, no radio, no basic every day sounds. It was just so weird.

My mom barely came out of her room. And the only time she did was to get something to eat—which she took back into her room—or use the bathroom. No matter where I was in the house I could here her cry at night. And it broke my heart. Finally, I got so fed up with it that I started sleeping outside on a lounge chair in the shed far enough from the house that I could only here her sobs if I strained.

My dad was just out of it. It was like he was in a permanent state of shock. He looked like a zombie as he walked aimlessly around the house, occasionally sitting on the sofa or recliner only to get back up and pace.  
_

That was how the whole week went considering we were on a three week winter break. I'd get up, jog for god knows how long, come back, take a shower, eat breakfast, read or do physical exercise, eat dinner, try to catch up on my school work, practice something werewolf related, and then go set up camp outside.

Even though there was no where to go once I had, I practiced Changing a lot. Turns out Jeremy was right when he said it gets easier and less painful with time. The more I practiced the less it hurt and the faster I got. That's not to say it still didn't hurt like hell, because it did. It just felt more like getting hit head on by a minivan than the usual jumping off a fifty story building.

I also learned, as did a very disgruntled neighbor, that when you fall asleep in wolf form you wake up naked in human form. And in this particular instant, pretty damn cold. I was also trying, and failing miserably, to try Changing only certain parts of me. Most of the time I focused on my human hand, willing it to Change into a clawed paw. The farthest I got was sprouting some sparse fur, and that was probably only accomplished because of my ramped-up genes.

I did call Logan at one point, I think it was Thursday. Not much was said. He'd asked if I wanted to hang out with him, but I declined, feeling bad, but also feeling like I had to stay here to try to snap my parents out of it.

And I did try once. The next morning, Friday, I got up extra early and brought my parents breakfast in bed. I brought it in and they ate silently. When they were done I took the tray and looked at my mom, she avoided my eyes. She looked horrible, so skinny (and she was slightly overweight before) and pale, she had dark bags under her eyes and she looked frail.

"We," I forced a smile, "are going to go to the mall." She always liked shopping before, even if I didn't.

My mother still avoided my eyes, "No Kaine, we aren't," she said it so deliberately and steadily.

"Come on mom, you love shopping," she needed to snap out of whatever stupor she was in, it worried me.

She finally looked at me and her hazel eyes looked so cold, "I am _not _your mother Kaine, you were adopted. And I don't feel like shopping."

I felt like she'd slapped me. I turned to my father and tried to keep my carefully constructed smile in place, "How 'bout you dad? Are you still working on that muzzleloader?" before I left, he was working on making his very first gun.

His eyes shifted from me to my mom and back again, "I finished it, I was planning on working on the bow today."

My smile turned into a real one, "Can I help?"

He shrugged and got up to use the bathroom. I stood up too with the tray and walked out, trying to forget about what my mother had said. She couldn't have meant it, I thought as I washed off the plates and cups. She was just under so much stress right now, her son had just died. Sure we'd never gotten along real well, but she was never outright mean to me.

After washing the dishes I went out to the garage and found my dad inside with a long strip of wood. He was never good at making bows, but it had been his hobby since I was born, I mean, since they adopted me.

"Need some help with that?" I asked as I watched him struggle to bend it.

"If I can't get it, I doubt you can, it just needs to be soaked more—" he stopped as I grabbed the wood from his hands.

"How far do you want it?" I started to bend it slowly, waiting for the signal to stop.

My dad just stared at me and watched as my arm muscles barely flexed. "Uhh," he spluttered, "you can stop."

I nodded and held it still as he warily fit the string to the length of the wood. "Okay," he said when he finished and I let go, the wood springing back into place.

He worked in silence for a while, me watching. I already knew how to make one, but it was still fascinating to watch. Eventually, my dad set everything down and turned around to face me. "Kaine, I spoke to you're grandma back in Ohio, you're going to live with her until everyone calms down."

I stared back, shocked, well that was… unexpected. "Dad…"

He looked at his hands, "You don't realize how hard this is for your mother. She just lost her son because of something her daughter did. She sees you every day and it just keeps reminding her. I think you should leave for a while. That's what you wanted, to stay in Ohio with your friends and family, well now you can." He sounded almost sorry.

I felt my rage boil to the surface and pushed it back down, afraid of accidently Changing. "She wasn't the one that had to watch him die!" I shouted at my recently unemotional father. He flinched and went back to work, pretending like it never happened.

"So you think this is my fault?" I asked him bluntly a few minutes later. My mind kept flashing back to the nightmare I'd had almost a week ago.

He hesitated, "No, not your fault. But that's what your mother thinks."

I nodded sadly and jumped off my perch on the workbench, "I've got somewhere to stay. I don't need to go to grandma's."

Dad looked up in curiosity, pretty much the first emotion I'd seen on him since coming home, "Where?"

"With my Pack."

XXXXXXXXXX

I knew as Logan helped me load my last box into my truck that I wasn't ever going to live with my adopted parents ever again. Yeah it bothered me, but I knew it wouldn't help to cry about it. I walked back up to the front door and Logan got into the passenger seat to wait. My dad was in the doorway.

"So, uhh, that's the last box. I guess we'll head out now." I stood awkwardly with my hands stuffed into my jean pockets.

My dad paused a brief moment and then opened his arms to hug me. It was the first time either of my parents had touched me since they'd learned of William. I hugged him back with ferocity and didn't want to let go. "I love you," he whispered into my ear and let go. I didn't want to, but I followed suit.

"Tell mom I said bye, and that I'm so sorry for everything." I turned to leave and looked over my shoulder before I hit the bottom of the steps. "And don't forget I'm alive, okay? Keep in touch."

He smiled and gave a small two finger wave before disappearing into the dark house.

I got in the truck and took a big breath before putting the key into the ignition. I rested my head onto the steering wheel, letting the warm air from the heater wash over me. Logan rubbed circles on my back. I sighed and sat up, putting the car into drive.

"Oh, I can't wait to sleep in an actual bed!" I exclaimed about five minutes into the trip, trying to lighten the mood.

Logan raised an eyebrow and I smiled secretively, "Long story." For the next half an hour, we talked about my Changes and how I was progressing.

Logan seemed surprised at my progress with just Changing one part of me. "That took my mom years to perfect," he informed me.

I laughed depreciatively, "I'm no where close to perfect. I can just get some patchy fur to sprout."

"Still," Logan sighed, not really sounding jealous, just annoyed at himself for not being able to do it.

I pulled down the long drive that led to Stonehaven. "Is Alex still here?"

Logan nodded, "Glued to Kat's side, too."

I chuckled, "I so knew it!"

He gave me a 'well duh' look, "I'd be worried if you hadn't. They were practically drooling over each other since he got here."

I put the truck into park, "Do you think they're mates?"

He shrugged, "Figure out soon enough."

We got out of the truck and headed up to the front door, not bothering to knock, we let ourselves in. I followed Logan past the den where Jeremy, Elena, Clay, and Nick were talking. Elena waved us in when she saw us passing the doorway.

"We were planning on repainting soon, so tomorrow you can come to the paint store to pick out you're room colors. That way we can paint before you put all your stuff in." Elena had a newspaper in her lap and a pen next to her; she was circling stories. Something about a dog mauling?

Nick snorted, "I don't even see why you're giving her a room. She might as well share a room with Logan 'cause that's where she'll be sleeping."

I was suddenly very aware of my hand in Logan's. Everyone but Jeremy laughed at my blush, and even he wore a soft smile.

"We can at least _try_ to keep them in different beds," Elena said desparingly.

"You know it won't last, darling. Don't you remember when we met?" and then Clay dived in to kiss her.

Logan cleared his throat when they didn't stop, "We're going now," he announced and we practically ran from the laughter that chased us. We followed voices to the kitchen where Kat and Alex were seated on bar stools with plates of food in front of them.

Logan swooped in to grab two apples from the bowl between them, one he threw back to me. He crunched into his and leaned back against the counter, staring hard at Alex's disappointed look. Kat sighed loudly, "Come on Logan, I don't interrupt you and Kaine when you're making out."

I laughed when Logan's eyebrows shot into his hairline, "So you were making out?" He stared harder at Alex.

The poor kid's eyes widened and I could see why they did. Clay had appeared right behind Alex at the mention of making out. "Of course we weren't," he spluttered and I swallowed my giggles, "Kat was just making a point."

Clay growled, clearly not satisfied with the answer.

Alex tried again and stood up, looking at Clay but his eyes were lowered to the father's collarbone, a sign of submission. Maybe this guy would make it out alive after all, "We weren't even touching, Mr. Danvers. I swear. I think Katherine was just referring to Logan and Kaine and how they kiss, not us."

Clay didn't move.

Kat stood up next and didn't show an ounce of the submissiveness Alex had, "Come on dad. Seriously? We were just eating. I can take care of myself."

Clay stared at his daughter now, and she stared back. They were having a silent battle when Nick called out from the den, "Clay! You can't expect to keep your daughter 'untainted' for her whole life, lay off."

I smothered some more laughter when Clayton muttered, "like hell I can't." He glared at Alex one last time and sauntered back to the den.

At Alex's relieved expression Logan, Kat, and I started to laugh, a lot. I didn't want to cause any further trouble so I grabbed Logan's arm and towed him back to the truck so we could get some boxes into the spare—_my_ room.

"I feel so bad for Kat," I commented as I grabbed a box labeled clothes. "It's gonna be hell for her to get a date with your dad around."

Logan chuckled evilly, "Well yeah, I honestly think my dad's been looking forward to the date screening since she was little." He stacked two more boxes onto the first in my arms and gathered three boxes himself.

We made our way to the spare bedroom and the whole while I was waiting for Kat or Alex to stick their foot out into Logan's way since he couldn't see over the boxes as payback. Surprisingly, we made it to my new room unscathed. We set down the boxes in the corner and I plopped down onto my new bed.

"I can't believe how much has changed," I commented as I stared up at the ceiling from my back. I found out I was adopted; I turned into a werewolf; I met Logan, the rest of the Pack, and the Russian Pack; I was kidnapped; I died, then came back to life; my brother also died; I learned I could destroy all the werewolves; and I moved in with my kinda-sorta boyfriend and his family.

Logan sighed and laid down next to me. "Tell me about it," he muttered and laced his fingers with mine. "When do your karate classes start?"

"Like two weeks ago."

His head rolled over to face me, "You're not going?"

I shook my head, "I don't think so. It wouldn't be very fun. I could easily beat them all."

"Oh. Well you'll have plenty of people to spare with here."

I laughed, "I'll totally kick your ass this time, it won't even be _close_ to a tie."

He snorted, "We'll see."

I jumped off the bed and dropped into a crouch, grinning. "You wanna go?"

He chuckled, "Not in the house. Mom gets mad."

"Wimp," I teased.

Logan launched himself off the bed and tackled me to the ground. Thinking he had changed his mind about the fighting, I lifted my knee into his gut. He rolled off me and groaned, "Geez Kaine, I was only going to kiss you."

I couldn't help but laugh at his pained expression, "Well that's what you get for not stating your intentions first."

"So now I have to tell you before I kiss you?" his eyebrow was raised.

I nodded, "Damn straight." I adjusted my faux brown leather jacket and the blue tank top underneath.

"Come on, there's still a couple more boxes." Logan stood up and reached down with his hand. He yanked me up, and I went flying halfway across the room—you know, werewolf strength does that to the unsuspecting. He laughed at my expression, "Payback's a bitch." Then he ran out of the room and down the stairs.

I just shook my head and started to unpack some of my clothes into the dresser. My new cell phone started to ring. I checked the caller ID, Valerie. I pushed the talk button. "Hello?"

"Kaine, it's been forever since we've talked!" I had forgotten just how peppy she was.

"Yeah, it has." What was I supposed to talk about? The last two months of my life have revolved around my new life, stuff none of my human friends could know.

"Let me guess," her voice took on a mischievous tone, "it's because of a boy."

I hesitated, "Partly," I was going to keep as close to the truth as possible.

"Are you going to make me beg? What's his name, what's he like, is he cute? Come on, Kaine, I want details!" If I were to describe Valerie in a sentence I'd say she was the total opposite of me.

"Okay, okay," I laughed, "his name is Logan," the man in question came in with more boxes and at the mention of his name his eyes narrowed, like he knew I was up to no good. I totally ignored him, "And he's definitely cute, I'd go as far as saying hot." I focused on his face and grinned, his eyebrows shot up and he puffed out his chest playfully.

"Omg! You have a boyfriend! I thought this day would never come."

"So how are things with Nolan?" I hastily changed the subject.

She sighed, "We're going to different colleges in the fall, so we broke it off."

"Aww, I'm so sorry." They'd been together since 7th grade.

"Yeah," her voice got brighter, "But its okay, it was mutual."

"Oh," I trailed off, not knowing what to say next. I wasn't sure what safe ground was anymore. Logan sat down in the wicker chair in the corner and watched me.

"I'm visiting my grandparents in Syracuse tomorrow, you live near there right?" she asked.

I knew where this was going and I wasn't sure if I liked it. "Yeah," I said warily.

"Well can I stop by? The guys were going to come with me."

I hesitated a little, "How about I meet you out somewhere?" I doubted any humans were allowed in Stonehaven, and I couldn't tell them I didn't live with my parents without telling them the rest of the story.

"Sure, where?" I heard a vacuum cleaner on the other line and I figured Valerie was in one of her OCD moods.

"Hang on a second." I covered the phone with my hand and asked Logan, "Where are we getting the paint?"

He shrugged, "Somewhere in the Eastbranch Mall."

I nodded and uncovered my cell, "How 'bout the food court in the Eastbranch Mall?"

Valerie gave a little chirp, "Okay, be there at two?"

I covered up a sigh, "I'll be there."

"And Kaine?" she spoke up quickly just as I was about to hang up, "Bring the boyfriend!"

"Goodbye Valerie," I spoke slowly and hung up to her laughter. I huffed and sat down on the bed.

Logan cocked an eyebrow, "Problem?"

"No, I should be happy that I get to see my old friends."

"But you're not," he finished bluntly.

I tilted my head, something I tended to do when I was sorting through my emotions, "It's just that I feel like I'm pretending. It was only a three minute conversation and I couldn't even tell her anything that's happened to me since I moved here." I settled down on my back with my feet hanging over the edge of the bed, "I can only imagine what it'll be like when I have to talk to them for a couple hours."

Logan was silent for a moment, "Then don't go." He said it as if it would solve all my problems.

I sighed in exasperation and chucked a pillow at his head. It hit with a satisfying _oomph_. "No, I'm going. And you are coming with me."

"Why?" was all he asked.

"Because," I smiled at the ceiling, "Valerie would kill me if I didn't bring you."

"So," he started amused, "you'll tongue lash werewolves that have no intention of keeping you safe, but you're afraid of a human?"

"Of course," I nodded.

He groaned and flicked the pillow back at me, it bounced off my knee, "I need an instruction manual with you."

"Nah, it wouldn't help any."

"And why's that?"

"I make up my rules as I go along," it was what William always used to say about me.

"Why does that not surprise me?" I could almost hear him throw his hands up.

I grinned, "Because you know me too well."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

I got out of the jeep and followed Elena, Clay, and Logan to a pair of side doors leading into the mall. Elena and I were the only ones that really had to be here, her to pick out paint and me to meet with Valerie. Clay, though, wouldn't let Elena come without protection, and I had decided to drag Logan along. We silently walked for about a minute to a home improvement store and to the back where the paint was.

"Pick out as many colors as you want, I got the rest," Elena unfurled a six inch list of paint colors from Jeremy. I scoped out the paint selections and picked out a lime green and bright silver, then took the little sample tags over to the paint mixer.

"This all?" the mixer asked dully and put down his Sports Weekly magazine.

"Yeah," I answered and saw Elena looked over at my voice.

"You can go meet up with your friends now. I'll get the paint when it's ready," she told me and went back to paint shopping.

"Thanks!" I called and grabbed Logan's arm as I passed the archery equipment. "Come on," I said nervously, "it's one thirty."

"Why are we going so early?" he said as we exited the improvement store and headed left down the middle aisle of the mall.

I gave him a look, "Didn't you say you were hungry?"

"Well yeah—"

"Okay then," I cut him off, "We get food before they come, and then when they come we'll get some more and act like it's the only thing we've eaten. Food for us and no suspicion. "

Logan looked down at me and grinned, "I'm so glad you're smart. I'd hate to spend all my time with a ditz."

I flashed a quick smile, "Why thank you."

We veered into the food court and split up. I went to a pizza stand and got two slices of chicken pizza, a bag of salt and vinegar chips, and a mountain dew. Logan went to a Japanese restaurant and got something containing raw fish. To me, sushi all looked the same. And quite honestly, it tasted the same too, which would be nasty flavored. I picked out a table for six and set my stuff down. Logan followed suit.

"So wouldn't this technically be our first date?" Logan asked once he chewed a sushi roll.

I shrugged, "Well technically." I grinned, "Damn, first date and we've already slept together."

I swear he blushed, "I have my many charms."

We mindlessly talked for ten minutes while we ate. Once we were done we threw all the evidence away and waited. I was starting to get nervous. Five after two ticked by and I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. I just really hoped that I wouldn't have to lie more than once.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, I heard a squeal and turned in time to see a mess of dirty blond curls and pale skin launch itself at me. I felt Logan stiffen beside me until I hugged back and he realized it was okay. Valerie pulled back and I looked around her to see Emery and Nolan walking toward us.

Emery's auburn hair flopped up and down as he walked. His large build made him stand out from his partner. Nolan struggled to keep up with Emery's long strides considering he was at least a half a foot shorter than him. His pale face swiveled around to take in everything in the food court. He'd gotten his shaggy brown hair cut and it was now a buzz cut. Though really, not one of the three looked considerably different from the last time I saw them.

"Kaine! You look amazing!" Valerie complimented and I wanted to laugh. Yeah, I was sporting my 'newly escaped from danger' look which perfectly complimented my 'need more sleep' and 'girl gone werewolf' accessories.

Instead I stood up and grasped her shoulders, "You too! You cut your bangs," I commented, just to seem like I cared about those trivial things.

By this time Emery and Nolan had entered our little bubble. Nolan gave me a little hug and backed up. Nolan was what you'd describe as shy. Emery though, was the opposite. His hug picked me off the ground and twirled me in a circle. Not only did this make Logan quietly growl, but it also attracted too much attention. Emery set me back on the ground and I gave a breathless smile before turning to Logan.

"This is Emery, Nolan, and Valerie," I pointed to each one in turn and we settled down at the table, "Guys, this is Logan." He sat beside me, and the other three sat across from us.

Emery and Nolan shook his hand across the table and Valerie flashed him a smile. She aimed her body at me and mouthed, _He's so hot!_ Followed by, _You're so lucky!_ While I'm sure Logan saw, he gave no indication of it and instead held a stare down with Emery.

"Would you quit it guys?" I asked impatiently. After a moment Logan turned toward me, smiled and stopped the staring.

"So Kaine," Nolan asked softly, "what's your new gym like?"

I grimaced and had a quick debate on rather or not to begin the lying, I opted to wait a bit longer. "I'm not going to one."

Everyone besides Logan looked at me blankly. Emery most of all, "You were the best of us, why the hell aren't you going?"

I shrugged and decided now would be an ideal time to lie, "I went once but it was way too easy. I even beat the teacher."

"Oh," and then we were quiet for a while.

"How 'bout we go get some food and then we can talk?" My stomach growled and the three humans laughed.

"You _still_ have that appetite?" Valerie asked incredulously.

I grinned and muttered under my breath, "You have no idea." Logan of course heard me and smothered a laugh. We all stood up and went to separate stalls, except for Emery and I. We both made our way over to a hamburger place. While we waited in line Emery looked at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked with a nervous laugh.

"Aren't you going to tell me what the hell is really going on?" he looked hurt and I cringed.

I put on my best poker face, "What do you mean? I moved, I made a couple friends, got a boyfriend, quit martial arts, and lost my brother. What's so wrong-?" I realized my mistake.

"William? What do you mean you lost him?" he demanded.

I hesitated, "He, uhh, died."

This time _he _hesitated and then gave me a fierce bear hug (but really that was the only kind of hug Emery was capable of giving). "I'm so sorry. I didn't know," he whispered into my ear.

We kept hugging until the cashier loudly cleared his throat, "What can I get you today?" a geeky, pimply boy squeaked.

"Triple cheese and bacon burger and a large fry with Pepsi," I ordered.

"Same," Emery said and pulled out his wallet. I pulled a twenty out of my pocket as well. Although he gave me a cross look, he knew better than to say anything. Very early on in our friendship he learned to let me do my own thing because, honestly, I could always kick his ass.

We paid for our meal and went back to the table where Logan was waiting. He stood up and pulled out my chair when I set down my stuff.

"So Logan, right?" Emery asked just a little too aggressive for my liking. He went on without a response, "how long have you known Kaine?"

I sighed and sat back with my burger, this was probably going to end up like a father meets the new boyfriend kind of conversation.

Logan glanced at me almost imperceptibly and I shrugged. "Almost three months. How about you?" boys and their dominance struggles.

"Thirteen years," he answered shortly and bit into his burger. The first day of kindergarten and he stole my crayon. I stomped on his foot and it was promptly returned. We had been friends ever since. Emery turned to me and from his body language, shut out Logan. "How are your parents holding up, you know, with William?" his voice was just the right amount of sympathy that I didn't want to hurt him.

"They're… holding up. My mom's like a zombie. Dad's trying to pretend nothing happened." From the corner of my eye, I saw Logan slump. I hadn't told him that, only that my parents blamed me. But it was different. While I'm sure Logan and I would probably spend the rest of our lives together, Emery and I already had. So it might have hurt Logan that I told Emery things so willingly, but at this point in time, I knew him better.

Valerie and Nolan came back before Emery could respond. "This mall is so big!" Valerie commented, "Nothing like ours."

I nodded and we all stayed silent. Awkward.

"Ooo! Guess what?" she squealed before digging into her chicken sandwich.

"What?" I injected the most curiosity I could.

She swallowed, "I got my Brown belt!"

I smiled, "Good for you! When?"

"Last week. Dad bought me a farm dog for it," Much to my eternal pain, Valerie loved dogs. This was nice and all since she got them from shelters, but that kind of ruled out her place for Friday night movie marathons. She had this miniature German shepherd (it was still pretty big) that liked to sneak inside. One time I was there doing homework and it came inside and I now realize it must have smelled me. It tore its way to the kitchen and barked like crazy. Before it could attack though, Valerie's dad came in and wrestled it out. Last time I ever went over there.

Nolan silently chomped away on his pizza. After a second of chewing, he opened his mouth, "Where are you going for college?"

My eyes widened and, I'll admit, I was scared shitless. I hadn't even though of college applications. It was late November, applications were already due. "Uh, I, well I uhh, forgot," I finished lamely. College was my dream. I was going to go to Brown University for anthropology and would eventually get my doctorates degree. How could I forget?

The others thought the same thing. Valerie, for once in her life, was speechless, Nolan gaped, and Emery had stopped with a fry halfway to his mouth. "B-but your Kaine Arden," Valerie stuttered, "the girl who had her entire future planned out since fifth grade."

I drooped in my chair, "Time just got away." Of course it wasn't really that simple, more like I was stuck in a cage for a combined total of roughly three weeks. And you know, when fighting for your life, college isn't really a main priority. Unless your _really_ put together, which I am not.

Logan rubbed my knee under the table, "It's only November, maybe they'll still take applications."

I nodded somewhat depressed and tried to smile, "What about you guys? Where'd you send your applications?"

We must have spent three hours at that table in the food court, taking about anything that we thought of. I lied when necessary, but by the end, I was laughing and smiling with everyone else, even Logan. He and my other friends hit it off great. And by the time five rolled around and I saw Elena wave at us from across the mall I regretted not having more time.

Logan nodded his head to his mother and wiped his eyes to clear the tears of laughter from them. "I think that's our cue," he nudged my shoulder and stood up. The rest of us followed suit and he shook hands with each of the guys and did a sort of lame handshake with Valerie, the kind that most guys do with girls they're afraid to break (although Logan had a real chance of that). Logan walked away towards his family to give me some privacy with my friends.

"Bye Kaine, take care," Nolan hugged me a little tighter than normal and stood back.

Valerie took his place and for her relatively small stature nearly squeezed the air out of me, "Don't wait so long to talk to me! I don't live that far away, call me sometime soon," she looked up into my eyes, "okay?"

I smiled and said, "Definitely." Even though I was fairly certain I wouldn't see them again.

Emery stood in front of me for a minute before scooping me up in a hug, "Goodbye Kaine," he whispered in my ear, "And as much as I hate to say it, Logan seems like a good guy, I'm happy for you." He let me go and looked at me for a moment longer, in that moment I knew he saw through all my lies, his next words confirmed it, "If you ever want to tell me what really happened, you call me."

I smiled sadly knowing full well that while I might be wrong about never seeing them again, I was definitely not wrong when saying I would never make that call. It was too dangerous for everyone involved.

"Bye guys, I'll miss you," I said it surprisingly strong and turned my back, walking to Logan, Elena, and Clay and then out the automated doors.

Two Weeks Later

Logan and I sat panting in a clearing after Changing back after a run. We had just managed to clothe ourselves before falling to the ground in exhaustion. A snowy white blanket covered the ground about two inches thick. My clothes were getting soaked from just laying curled up next to Logan, but the cool felt really good against my hot skin.

"You know," my mate mumbled into my hair, "I never gave you your birthday present."

I laughed lightly, "It's been almost a month, I really couldn't care less. Besides, I think you're way more than enough of a present."

He shrugged and somehow managed to procure a present wrapped in blue paper, he held it away teasingly. "Then I guess you don't want this." He stuffed the tiny square package in his jean pocket and went to tracing circles on my bare arms.

Now while I really don't care about material things, I have a really _really_ insatiable curiosity. In one quick motion I managed to position myself so I was straddling him around his hips. He raised his eyebrows but said nothing when I stuck my hand into his pocket to retrieve the present. Instead of trying to take it like I thought he would, he just kept his hands folded behind his head and stared up at me.

I warily unwrapped the small, plainly packaged box. I lifted the lid and gasped. Laying on a piece of cotton sat a small blue sapphire set inside an intricately carved obsidian idol about three inches tall. It took me a moment of sorting out all the lines to realize I was looking at a man. I looked back down to Logan with my mouth slightly ajar.

He grinned in satisfaction, "It's an authentic Aztec obsidian idol. It was a representation of their god Tezcatlipoca, the god of the night, beauty, and war; I saw it and thought of you." His eyes turned anxious, "You like it right?"

I shook my head, "No, I don't _like _it." My mouth turned up in a huge smile, "I love it."

He waited until I had set it carefully back into the cushioned box before grabbing my shoulders and flipping us so that he was the one hovering above me. Logan leaned down and kissed my forehead, then the corner of my eye, my cheek, and finally my mouth. I tangled my hands into his hair and sighed against his lips in contentment.

I just knew, rather it was just a hunch or some kind of premonition due to my wonky genes, that for the next couple of months things would be fine. Better than fine, amazing. I had sent out my college applications, fitting under a late category; I resolved some issues with my parents, not many, but we were getting there; I was officially Pack; Roman had called to tell me that William had been buried with full Pack honors; I had said my goodbyes to my friends; and I had Logan.

I mean really, what could be better?


End file.
